Residents of a town in northern Pakistan along the Afghan border are fleeing the volatile area Monday as government forces and pro-Taleban militants battled for a third day.
Residents of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan region, are leaving the area where at least 53 people have been killed since Saturday. Authorities say among the dead are at least 46 rebels and several soldiers. Thousands of people began leaving the area Sunday.
The Pakistani army fired on suspected rebels in the mountainous area near the Afghan border overnight Sunday.
Fighting in the semi-autonomous North Waziristan region began Saturday when more than 100 militants attacked a security outpost and seized government buildings.
The fighting came days after Pakistani security forces attacked a militants' camp used to train terrorists. More than 40 foreign fighters and tribal militants were killed in that raid near the Afghan border.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.