Islamabad - US Central Command chief General David Petraeus visited Pakistan's prime minister Monday to discuss security issues along the Afghan border, where Pakistani troops were advancing on the main Taliban redoubt, officials said.

Troops launched a major ground offensive in the South Waziristan tribal district, stronghold of Pakistani Taliban leadership, on Saturday after a string of terrorist attacks across the country left more than 160 people dead in less than two weeks.

The military said it killed at least 60 fighters and wounded many more over the weekend, but Taliban rejected the claim, asserting "only a few" insurgents died. The army suffered five casualties.

Neither of the claims could be confirmed independently.

On Monday, Prme Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told Petraeus that the military offensive had "full support" of the political leadership and the nation, according to the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV).

The United States has been pressing Islamabad to eliminate Taliban and al-Qaeda sanctuaries in the lawless region, which is used to plan and mount attacks on Western troops in Afghanistan.

Earlier, eyebrows were raised at Pakistan's commitment to fight against Taliban militancy, but the recent onslaught against Islamist rebels in the north-western Swat valley greatly allayed the concerns.

Petraeus acknowledged Pakistan's military gains against the Taliban, PTV said.

The meeting came as fighting intensified in South Waziristan, with artillery and aerial attacks on insurgent positions ahead of slow infantry movement.

"The bombardment continued through Sunday night and several hideouts were hit," an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

Ground troops are moving towards the Taliban hub of Makeen from three directions but facing tough resistance, coupled with a treacherous terrain.

More than 30,000 soldiers are braced for combat with some 10,000 Taliban fighters, including up to 1,500 battle-hardened Uzbek militants.

The military expects the operation might take six to eight weeks to complete, but there is no definite timeframe.

Attempts have been made in the past to oust the Taliban from the region, but all efforts ended with the government entering into controversial peace deals with the rebels after much bloodshed.

The offensive has so far displaced near 97,000 people, according to Tariq Hayat Khan, security chief for the restive tribal region.

Authorities have swung into action for the refugee relief, in the wake of lessons learned from the Swat assault, which uprooted more than 2 million people.

Security is high elsewhere in the country as the Taliban have threatened to avenge the Waziristan offensive.

Several schools functioning under the military and private-sector groups were closed in many cities and towns on Monday, for up to a week.(dpa)