**Pakistani forces say they have killed 21 militants and taken control of Sararogha region from the Taliban in South Waziristan.**The army said two suspected militants had also been arrested in the continuing offensive against militants that began in the region on 17 October.
There is no independent confirmation of the claim. The assault has sparked a string of suicide bombings in Pakistan.
About 300 people have died in attacks since mid-October.
The Pakistani military said in a statement that 16 militants had been killed and two suspected militants arrested during the operation at Sararogha.
One soldier had been killed when a mine exploded during the operation, the military said.
Another five militants were killed during an operation in the Ghani Khel area, the army said.
‘Surrender’
Security forces have also begun search and clearance operations at Kaniguram, one of the Taliban’s key regional strongholds, which the army said it took on Monday.
Separately, the army said 21 suspected militants had been taken into custody from the Swat area.
The army said 10 militants had “voluntarily surrendered” and a large number of arms and ammunition had been seized in the area.
Pakistan’s government has offered rewards totalling $5m (£3m) for information leading to the capture of Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, two other Taliban leaders and 15 commanders.
It said Mr Mehsud’s Tehrik-e-Taliban group was involved in acts of terrorism that were causing the death of innocent Muslims on a daily basis.
There has been a spate of violence in Pakistan since the beginning of the operation in South Waziristan.
Last week, more than 100 people were killed when a huge car bomb ripped through a busy market in Peshawar.
The violence led the United Nations to announce on Monday that it was withdrawing international staff from north-west Pakistan.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the decision had been taken “bearing in mind the intense security situation in the region”.