Pakistan today pressed ahead with its offensive on the homeland of Taliban suicide bombers responsible for a plague of recent attacks across the country.

Militants fired on helicopter gunships and attacked Pakistani troops advancing into their main sanctuary near the Afghan border today as the army pressed ahead with its most critical offensive yet against al-Qaida and the Taliban.

More than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a ground offensive against al Qaida and the Taliban’s main stronghold along the Afghan border today in the country’s toughest test yet against a strengthening insurgency.

Six Pakistani militants arrested last month, including an ex-army major, were “brainwashed” by radical clerics near the Afghan border and had been plotting suicide attacks against military targets, an intelligence chief said.