Pakistan forces gain ground on militants

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The Pakistani military on Friday claimed to have killed at least 14 militants in the latest operations targeting insurgents in South Waziristan.

Pakistani forces launched a major military offense earlier this month against the Pakistani Taliban and other militants operating from the tribal regions along the volatile border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban vowed revenge for the death of their leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in August. Since early October, the Taliban have claimed responsibility for a series of high-profile attacks across the country.

Pakistani authorities announced the death toll from a suicide bombing in Peshawar on Wednesday rose to 111 with many of the injured listed in critical condition.

Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, notes that while the Taliban have not claimed responsibility for the Peshawar attack, several merchants reported receiving threats for allowing women to shop at local markets.

Pakistani forces Friday said they have expanded their influence in parts of South Waziristan. Security officials said they uncovered a training camp for militants and seized a sizable weapons cache, Dawn reported.

Police in Karachi, meanwhile, raided several Islamic schools and arrested several Afghan and Uzbek nationals who were allegedly in the country illegally.