Pakistani forces killed two dozen militants in 24 hours and were closing in on a prominent insurgent stronghold in the mountains of South Waziristan, the army said Friday.
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Government soldiers now control the hills above the village of Sararogha, where Taliban leaders long have operated openly, officials said in a statement. The army said during the advance two Pakistani soldiers were killed in a militant mortar attack and three were injured in a bombing.
The Pakistani military launched a ground offensive earlier this month in the rugged, desolate tribally controlled region of South Waziristan, where the Pakistani Taliban are based and are believed to shelter al-Qaeda fighters.
The army has deployed about 30,000 troops to take on some 5,000 to 8,000 militants, a top general said on Thursday during a rare visit to the battle area by journalists. His estimate included up to 1,500 foreign fighters, most of them Uzbeks. Afghan fighters are also reportedly filtering in across the border.
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A total of 299 militants and 34 government soldiers have been killed in the offensive, according to a tally of army figures. Six more militants have been arrested.
Access to South Waziristan is heavily restricted, so independently verifying death tolls from fighting is all but impossible.