Pakistan military on Sunday said it had achieved the target of destroying hideouts of foreign terrorists in the rugged terrain near the Afghan border.
The operation, which started in the Shakai valley of South Waziristan region after terrorist attacks on military check posts in area on Wednesday "is nearing completion," a military spokesman said.
"Security forces are in control of the Shakai valley," he said adding that with the destruction their hideouts "the miscreants are on the run."
Warplanes had conducted air strikes against suspected al Qaeda hideouts on Friday and Saturday along with a massive ground operation, officials and residents said.
The bombing had targeted a training site for al Qaeda and some houses in the Shakai valley, 25 kilometres west of Wana, they added.
However, residents in the region's main town, Wana, said no sound of combat was heard overnight.
Some 300 to 400 mainly Chechen and Uzbek al Qaeda-linked terrorists are believed to be hiding in regions bordering Afghanistan. Arabs as well as ethnic Uighur Muslims from China are also said to be among them.
"As many as 20 miscreants have been killed by the security forces during last two days," the military spokesman said, raising the terrorists toll since Wednesday to at least 55.
Some 35 terrorists were killed on Wednesday and Thursday when 15 soldiers and three civilians were also killed.
"Bodies of a few more miscreants killed during the action are believed to be still lying under the debris of destroyed sanctuaries".
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