ISLAMABAD, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces killed18 more militants during the last 24 hours as the operation in the country's tribal area of South Waziristan goes successfully underway, bringing the total fatality to 78 since the launch of the offensive Saturday morning, the army spokesman said Monday in a press briefing.

    Major General Athar Abbas said two soldier were also killed and another 12 injured in separate clashes in the last 24 hours, making a total of nine soldiers killed and 35 injured so far in the operation coded as Rah-e-Nijat, or path of salvation.

    Two ammunition dumps of the militants have been blown up and one post of 12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun was vacated by militants without fighting in different areas, the spokesman said.

    Abbas said that the security forces are fully capable to thwart the terrorists activities and they are strengthening their positions in the area.

    He said there are about 5,000 to 10,000 militants in the agency while 1,000 foreign militants are also operating in the area.

    He said the security forces are fully backed by the local people and the army is confident to complete the operation within the stipulated time.

    Abbas said that the focus of the operation is to isolate the banned Taliban group, however, it is difficult to give any timeline to the operation, which was launched at 03:00 local time Saturday morning (2100GMT Friday) in the South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan.

    Replying to a question, he said that the security forces taking part in the operation are fully equipped with arms and ammunition and they do not need any foreign assistance in this regard.

    Addressing the same press conference, Pakistan's Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira agreed that Pakistan military does not need any foreign help in the operation as the whole nation stands with the army in operation against the terrorists initiated in South Waziristan.

    Kaira said the recent wave of attacks have been traced back to South Waziristan, the strongholds of the Taliban militants in Pakistan, adding the militants there still have option to surrender.

    The minister said the government took the decision to take action against the militants in this area when the writ of the national institutions were challenged by the militants.

    He pledged that the war on terrorism would continue till their complete elimination.

    The minister said that 14,500 dislocated families in South Waziristan have been registered but so for no camp has been established as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) prefer to stay with their relatives or tribes elsewhere.

    He said that sufficient funds have been earmarked to look after the displaced persons.

    More than 80,000 civilians have fled South Waziristan in anticipation of the offensive and the United Nations refugee agency said more people are leaving this week.

    The army warned that up to 250,000 civilians are expected to displace in South Waziristan.