Pakistani forces enter Taliban headquarters

The army went on the offensive in South Waziristan, a lawless ethnic Pashtun region on the Afghan border, on October 17, aiming to root out Pakistani Taliban militants behind a wave of violence in urban areas.

The offensive is closely watched by the United States and other powers embroiled in neighbouring Afghanistan, as South Waziristan's rugged landscape of barren mountains and hidden ravines has become a global centre of Islamist militancy.

Soldiers have been advancing into the militant heartland from three directions and had entered the Taliban headquarters in the town of Makeen, the army said.

"Today security forces have entered Makeen. A large part of the town has been cleared," the army said, referring to Makeen as the "base headquarters of terrorists."

There was no independent verification of the report as journalists are not allowed into the area except on an occasional trip chaperoned by the military.

A senior military official in the region said troops had met little resistance.

"Our troops are now clearing mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and moving forward," said the official, who declined to be identified.

Analysts say many militants appeared to have melted away, perhaps into neighbouring North Waziristan where allied militant factions are based, from where they could strike back.

The military said 21 militants had been killed in Makeen, where Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in an attack by a U.S. missile-firing drone aircraft in early August.