Pakistan’s military said Wednesday it had killed more than 900 militants and lost 82 soldiers since the start of a major operation against the Taliban in the tribal northwest in June

Pakistan's military said Wednesday it had killed more than 900 militants and lost 82 soldiers since the start of a major operation against the Taliban in the tribal northwest in June.
  
The military began a long-awaited push to clear insurgent bases from North Waziristan district, on the Afghan border, after a bloody attack on Karachi airport finally sank stuttering peace talks with the militants.
  
Air strikes, artillery, mortars and ground troops have all been used to retake territory in North Waziristan, which had become a haven for fighters with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terror outfits.
  
The military said the major towns of Miranshah and Mir Ali had now been cleared of insurgents, along with a strategically important 90-kilometre (55-mile) road through North Waziristan. "Since start of the operation, 910 terrorists have been killed. 82 soldiers have embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in entire country while fighting against terrorism and 269 were injured," the military said in a statement.
  
The toll includes 42 militants killed outside of the tribal areas in more than 2,000 of what the military called "intelligence-led coordinated operations" to prevent reprisal terror attacks elsewhere in the country.
  
The latest figures represent a significant increase on an AFP tally based on regular operational updates from the military, which recorded 632 militant deaths up to August 30 and 29 soldiers.
  
A security official said the discrepancy had arisen because intense ground operations around Mir Ali in recent weeks have produced a high number of casualties.