60 militants killed in Pakistan operation

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In other news now the Pakistani army says 60 militants and six soldiers were killed in the first 24 hours of fighting in South Wazi-ristan.

Soldiers are securing territory while some militants flee.

Pakistani troops and the Taliban fought fierce battles on Sunday in an area near the Afghan border.

Pakistan's army says it has secured high regions close to Razmak. The army also claims to have destroyed six militant anti-aircraft gun positions.

The Taliban claims to have inflicted heavy casualties on government troops and forced a retreat.

It is not possible to independently verify the conflicting claims by the two sides.

The operation in South Waziristan had been planned by the Pakistani government for several months. It kicked off on Saturday after a surge in militant attacks over the past two weeks killed nearly 200 people.

The operation involves 30-thousand troops backed by artillery advancing from three directions.

The Pakistani army is pitted against about 10-thousand local militants. About 15-hundred foreign fighters, most from Central Asia, have also sided with the Taliban.

The Taliban controls more than 3-thousand square kilometers of territory, or about half of South Waziristan. The areas are loyal to former militant chief Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US missile strike in August.

The Pakistani military predicts the operation will last two months before the onset of winter makes fighting difficult.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up in Islamabad. Armed officers are guarding checkpoints and police are searching vehicles in the Pakistani capital.