PESHAWAR/WANA, Aug 4: After securing several locations in the South Waziristan tribal region, army troops, backed by helicopter gunships, have started advancing towards mountainous region of Shawal on Wednesday.

Senior officials in Peshawar said that after clearing Shakai and other adjacent areas, security forces had been ordered to concentrate on Shawal region. An official said that the government had decided to conduct 'snap raids' in South Waziristan with active assistance of military authorities to catch suspected militants.

The government estimated presence of 500 to 600 militants of different nationalities in South Waziristan as only few of them have been arrested. "Authorities in Wana have already been conveyed the new instructions and further steps in this regard may be taken soon to establish writ of the government there," said the official.

Residents in the Santoi valley told Dawn that hundreds of regular and paramilitary troops were seen heading towards forest-covered Shawal area, believed to be a sanctuary of foreign militants.

The security forces started fresh offensive after flushing out militants from the troubled Santoi, Mantoi and Khamrang valleys near the border with Afghanistan. "The forces have secured Serghashai, the nearest point to Shawal region," a resident told Dawn on phone.

The high-altitude Shawal mountainous region demarcates South and North Waziristan regions while its parts also lie across the Afghan border. Maj-Gen Shoukat Sultan, the ISPR director general, when approached, denied any fresh movement by the security forces in the troubled region.

"Absolutely, there is no fresh movement of troops in the area," the army spokesman said. Residents said that the security forces, backed by artillery and helicopter gunships, made rapid advance towards Shawal early in the morning and secured the Serghashai hilltop.

They said that security forces were shelling high peaks as gunships flew overhead. They said that militants had shown no reaction to the fresh advance by the security forces. Army helicopters were also hovering over Wana, the regional headquarters, throughout the day.

Reports said that one soldier was wounded when a shell slammed near the army outpost in Santoi valley. The wounded soldier was shifted to the Brigade Headquarters. Militants also fired rockets on Zalay Fort housing paramilitary forces in Azam Warsak area, but caused no damage.