Summary:
Pakistani forces have killed at least 19 militants in a ground offensive in north-western Pakistan, officials say.

Full article:
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Five militants were killed in an airstrike in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on Saturday, according to the Pakistani military. The military says it launched the strikes in order to "flush out terrorists" in the area's capital, Miranshah, and the village of Boya. One Pakistani soldier was was killed in the same region by an explosive device, the military said. The military launched a ground offensive in the region on June 15 in order to "finish off" militants in the area near the Afghanistan border "once and for all," Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told CNN. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis have fled their homes as a result of the fighting, prompting what appears to be a humanitarian crisis in the nearby city of Bannu. The region is known as a base for anti-government fighters -- including those affiliated with the Islamist Haqqani movement. At least 19 militants killed in Pakistan offensive . How ISIS is overshadowing al Qaeda . Pakistani newlyweds decapitated by bride's family in honor killing . CNN's Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report.