Pakistan military officials say fighting in a remote tribal area near the country's border with Afghanistan has killed 23 Islamic militants and seven Pakistani troops.

A military official says the fighting erupted Monday when militants attacked a paramilitary convoy in the Mohmand tribal district.

The attack comes just days after Pakistani troops killed a number of militants in a tribal area of nearby South Waziristan as part of an effort to target Taliban and al-Qaida safe havens in the region.

Last Friday, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen expressed concern about the presence of al-Qaida safe havens in Pakistan.

Admiral Mullen said militants are not only launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, but inside Pakistan as well. He called on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and his military advisors to confront the problem directly.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.