 Pakistani security forces say they have destroyed several militant bases in the latest phase of their operation in South Waziristan, a border region close to Afghanistan. The Pakistani army believes hundreds of foreign Islamic militants, including Arabs, Afghans and central Asians, are holed up in the region. The US says Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and other senior figures could be hiding there in the area's caves and canyons. A Pakistani commander, Major General Niaz Khattak, says Government forces killed at least 30 militants over the past week. "We have made substantial special gains about Waziristan," he said. "We have caused considerable attrition on the militants, we have busted their main bases." |