A Pakistani air strike has killed at least 30 militants near the Afghan border, the military said.

According to military officials, a militant "hideout" was hit in the Shawal mountains of South Waziristan, following a tip-off.

The army launched an offensive in South Waziristan last October to root out militants blamed for bombings.

The strike came 10 days after Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's top Afghan military commander, was captured in Karachi.

Pakistan’s Nato allies in Afghanistan, who say the area is a haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters, closely monitored the offensive.

Pakistan's government said the operation had been completed in December, but fighting in the area has continued.

"The hideout in Shawal was targeted after we were tipped off that terrorists were hiding in the mountains," said a military spokesman.