ISLAMABAD, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Several people were killed as gunship helicopters bombed Taliban positions in northwest Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal agency Monday, a local TV channel reported.

    Gunship helicopters bombed Makin area of South Waziristan, the stronghold of the banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Locals said that several were killed during the strike, the private TV DAWN News reported.

    Security forces launched operations after an overnight rocket fire by the Taliban at an army port at Razmak area of the tribal region.

    Last month, Baitullah Mehsud, chief of the TTP, was killed in a United States drone missile strike in South Waziristan.