ISLAMABAD, Aug 3: The Pakistan Army on Tuesday claimed that security forces had gained control of Shakai and adjoining areas in the South Waziristan Agency.

A press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday said that during recent operations in Shakai, Santoi, Mantoi and Khamrang valleys, the security forces not only flushed out terrorists and gained control of the area but also seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition.

It said the arms captured by the security forces included cannons, mortars, rocket-launchers, grenades, recoilless rifles, fuses, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines as well as a huge quantity of ammunition, explosives with electrical circuits, communication gadgets, medicines and foodstuff.

The press release said that investigations carried out by intelligence agencies showed that the arms cache captured from these areas was identical to the kind of weapons used in various terrorist acts in different parts of the country.

The terrorists had been using these weapons indiscriminately that often hit civilian population in the South Waziristan Agency, the press release said. The military's public relations department said a free-flight rocket fired by the terrorists had landed on the house of Mir Afzal Khan on July 12, killing his two sons.

It said there had been numerous instances where mines planted by terrorists killed innocent civilians and personnel of security forces and caused heavy loss to vehicles.

The press release said the operations had eliminated main strongholds of miscreants in the South Waziristan Agency and also helped political work which resulted in the surrender of several wanted men.

"So far the security agencies have cleared Shakai and its adjacent valleys, including Khamrang Santoi and Mantoi, of the terrorists with the active cooperation of local tribesmen," the press release said.

Meanwhile, militants continued night attacks on security forces in Wana and fired rockets and missiles at the scouts camp and civilian population on Monday night, Dilawar Khan Wazir adds from Wana.

Residents said that a woman and a man were wounded when free-flight rockets and missiles hit three houses at about 3am. They said militants fired rockets on the scouts camp in which one person received injuries while a portion of the paramilitary barrack was partially damaged.

A few rockets also hit the houses of Karim Khan, Mohammad Iqbal and Taj Mohammad in Wana. The mother of Mohammad Iqbal sustained injuries and was admitted to a local hospital. Witnesses said that an exchange of fire between security forces and militants lasted more than an hour.