Security forces on Wednesday besieged a key Taliban stronghold near Sararogha in South Waziristan from three directions.The village, Kaniguram, was considered the operational centre of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the agency.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said after surrounding Kaniguram from three sides, the forces advanced into the Jandola-Sararogha axis and secured several important heights in the Nawazkot area on the Razmak-Makeen axis.
The ISPR statement said security forces had achieved substantial success on all three fronts.
The government said on Wednesday the terrorists were "on the run" and attacking civilian targets in "desperation" as the military was destroying Taliban hideouts in the ongoing offensive, adding that 25 Taliban had been killed and large caches of arms recovered in the last 24 hours from various parts of South Waziristan.
The security forces suffered no casualty in the last 24 hours.
Addressing a press briefing, ISPR Director General Maj Gen Athar Abbas and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the operation was progressing successfully and the terrorists, contrary to their claims of putting up stiff resistance, were on the run.
Maj Gen Abbas said the military was gaining ground on the Jandola-Sararogha axis and securing heights along the Kotkai-Sararogha main road which overlooks Sararogha. He said security forces had secured the important Nullah Junction, two kilometres north of Ganrakas along with an important height, Point 1233 west of Kotkai-Sararogha road.
He said that during the search operation in Murghabund, three terrorist training complexes had been discovered and destroyed, and a number of 82mm mortar and single barrel rocket launchers recovered.
Maj Gen Abbas said the forces had also achieved success on the Shakai-Kaniguram axis and had secured important posts around Kaniguram, the major stronghold of Uzbek terrorists.
An important post, Karwan Manza, located 2 km east of Kaniguram, had also been secured, he said. Qaira and Abbas told the press briefing that the Taliban had trained several minors as suicide bombers, who were attempting to sneak into North Waziristan.
According to ISPR figures, 264 terrorists have been killed during the operation that was launched on the 17th of this month, while six terrorists have been arrested, but no high-value targets had been acquired so far. The security forces have lost 31 men and 94 personnel have been injured. To a question, the ISPR DG said intelligence reports had revealed that key terrorists leaders Waliur Rehman and Qari Hussain were still in South Waziristan, while the whereabouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud were unknown.
He said there were unconfirmed reports that TTP Swat chief Fazullah was also hiding in the valley.
Maj General Abbas said the arrested terrorists would be tried in civilian anti-terrorist courts for which amendments were being made in the anti-terrorism laws.
To a question about the military's apprehensions over US aid through the Kerry Lugar law, he said the armed forces had expressed their reservations in an official statement issued after the corps commanders' meeting and he would not comment on the issue further. Commenting on the vacating of border posts by NATO forces following the start of the Waziristan military offensive, Maj General Abbas said the international forces had only "readjusted" their positions.