Nov 12, 2009, 11:36 GMT
Islamabad - Pakistani troops have killed 22 Taliban militants during the ongoing military offensive the country's restive north-western region, the army said Thursday.
Five soldiers also died and eight more were injured in the clashes that took place in various areas of South Waziristan - an ungoverned, mountainous region near the Afghan border.
Around 30,000 ground troops launched an offensive in mid-October against some 10,000 Islamist insurgents in the district. South Waziristan has turned in recent years into a hub of global terrorism with hundreds of al-Qaeda operatives planning their attacks there.
Military officials said that more than 500 rebels have so far been killed in the three-week operation, and the militants were on the run. The Taliban dismiss that claim, saying their retreat was just a tactic to continue a 'long guerrilla war' from the mountains.
Security forces exchanged fire with Taliban during a clearance operation in the district's Ghara Sar area, an army statement said. One soldier was injured and five militants killed in the fighting, it added.
Intense clashes also took place in the Langar Khel area, leaving five soldiers dead and seven injured. Fourteen militants were killed in the fighting, the army said.
Another three rebels were killed elsewhere in the district.
The operation has displaced more than 200,000 people from Waziristan. They are living in rented houses or with relatives in adjoining districts.
In retaliation, Taliban have intensified attacks on civilians and official targets. More than 300 people have been killed in suicide bombings and raids since mid-October.
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