Pakistani fighter jets have pounded the Taliban hideouts in South Waziristan, killing at least 11 insurgents, as the security forces began a fresh offensive against the Taliban in the area. Reports say, the latest offensive that began on Saturday has left two soldiers dead and five injured. Geo TV reported that one of the soldiers was killed when militants detonated a bomb through a remote control device near a security vehicle in Karkunray area of South Waziristan.<br/><br/>Afterwards, the military retaliated with the help of fighter jets, killing 11 militants and destroying two rebel hideouts in the area.In another incident, militants attacked a military convoy in the Razmak area of South Waziristan, killing a security personnel and injuring two others.<br/><br/>Officials said, soldiers captured a Taliban stronghold at Spinkai Raghzai<br/><br/>yesterday after the militants withdrew from their fortifications<br/><br/>and took refuge in nearby mountains. Heavy exchanges of fire broke out as soldiers tried to push into the Taliban-held town of Khaisora from Shakai early today. About 28,000 soldiers are battling an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban, including about 1,000 tough Uzbek fighters and some Arab al Qaeda members after surrounding militant territory and pushing in from three direction.<br/><br/>The offensive on South Waziristan follows a string of brazen militant attacks in different parts of the country, including an assault on army headquarters, in which more than 150 people were killed.

In Pakistan, army backed by fighter jets launched the much-awaited major ground offensive to flush out Taliban from their stronghold of South Waziristan tribal region . Chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told state-run radio that the operation is aimed at flushing out terrorists , who are believed to be behind 80 per cent of terrorist activities in the country. He said that the tribal region has been besieged by security forces by closing all key roads.<br/><br/>A military statement said that two soldiers were killed and four more injured in an exchange of fire with militants at Mandana, Two more soldiers killed and four were injured in a gun battle that erupted when militants attacked a check post at Saidullah.<br/><br/>Two soldiers were injured when militants fired at Razmak Camp in North Waziristan while same number of soldiers were wounded when militants fired 10 rockets at a check post near Saeed Camp.<br/>Quoting official sources APP news agency reported that the Taliban-linked terrorists had stepped up attacks on government installations, especially offices of law enforcement agencies across the country, and this necessitated a "decisive operation" on militants in South Waziristan.<br/>Official sources said that the country's top political and army leadership met representatives of the main political parties on Friday to make a final decision to root out the menace of terrorism once and for all by taking on the terrorists of South Waziristan, The army has mobilised two divisions or about 28,000 troops backed by tanks for the operation in the tribal belt.