Pakistan: Soldiers close in on Taliban bases

Pakistani officials say soldiers are closing in on two major Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan. The country's Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, says the government has no choice but to wipe out the militants, as their aim is to destroy the country.

The army said on Saturday it has surrounded the key Taliban stronghold of Sara-rogha on three sides. It has also reached the outskirts of Makeen, which is called the Pakistani Taliban's "nerve center".

Latest figures from the army show soldiers have killed a total of 33 militants over the past 24 hours, discovered a factory for making roadside bombs, and seized a handful of weapons.