By Rebecca Conway
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, May 17 (Reuters) - A NATO helicopter from Afghanistan intruded into Pakistan's frontier North Waziristan region on Tuesday, wounding two troops, local intelligence officials said, in an incident likely to further anger Islamabad after the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Here are some facts on the northwestern region of North Waziristan:
* North Waziristan is on Pakistan's unruly border with Afghanistan, an area which has been described as a global hub for militant groups, including al Qaeda.
* Arid and mountainous, North Waziristan is one of seven tribal agencies, and home to a population of predominately Pashtun tribesmen. The lack of state control there makes it an ideal hub for militants to operate and train.
* Waziristan absorbed thousands of refugees during the 1979-1989 Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. It became a refuge for Taliban and al Qaeda militants fleeing the U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan in 2001, and is thought to house camps that train local and foreign militants.
* North Waziristan is home to militants from the Haqqani network, headed by Afghan Pashtun warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani. The Haqqani network is allied with the Afghan Taliban and is believed to have close links to al Qaeda, as well as long-standing links with Pakistan's powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI).
* Pakistan, an important U.S. ally in the war on terrorism, first established military posts in Waziristan in 2002. There are currently 34,000 Pakistani troops in North Waziristan.
* Pakistan's army has been under mounting pressure from the United States to launch an offensive against militants based there, following successful campaigns in other tribal areas. U.S. officials acknowledge this is a hard sell because of resistance within Pakistani intelligence, which analysts say regards the Haqqani group as a counterweight to the influence of its rival India in Afghanistan. (Reporting by Rebecca Conway; editing by Michael Georgy and Miral Fahmy)
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