Peshawar, Sept 04: A fleet of Pakistani military helicopters swooped over the tribal belt that borders Afghanistan in a renewed hunt for al-Qaeda and Taliban, witnesses said today. Government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several of the helicopters carried ``foreign'' forces, an apparent reference to US forces.

The US military earlier deployed an unknown number of special forces into Pakistan's rugged tribal region, but their whereabouts are secret and they keep a low profile, largely because of the deeply conservative nature of the area. The tribesmen in the border region resent the presence of Pakistani troops and have demanded that US forces stay out.

Officials said the majority of troops have moved into Angoorada and Azam Warzak areas near the Afghan border.

There was no indication of who was being sought or whether there was some fresh intelligence of fugitives in the area. However, both US and Afghan officials have repeatedly said fugitive al-Qaeda and Taliban have taken refuge in the region, where tribesmen have expressed a willingness to hide them.

Bureau Report