At least 28 militants were killed and five others apprehended during ongoing military operations in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal area in the last 24 hours, an army statement said Thursday.

On Jandola-Sararogha axis, five soldiers including an officer were killed and two others were injured in a blast in Sararogha, a main base of Taliban. During encounter 16 militants were killed and five others were apprehended, the Inter Services Public Relations said in a daily press release.

On Shakai-Kaniguram and Razmak- Makeen axis, security forces conducted search and clearance operations and 12 militants were killed in exchange of fire.

Large quantities of arms and ammunitions have also been recovered by the security forces during the operation.

Local newspaper quoted senior military officials as saying that the Army is winding up the first phase of Operation Rah-i-Nijat by this weekend by capturing all major towns and villages in the Taliban heartland of South Waziristan.

Meanwhile, security forces apprehended five relatives of local militant commander Ali Rehman alias Sparay during search operation in Swat valley in North West Frontier Province. At least nine militants voluntarily surrendered themselves to security forces in the area.

On relief activities, nine trucks carrying mix rations from Army and 7,641 cash cards have been distributed amongst the displaced families of Waziristan.

As many as 22,600 internally displaced families from South Waziristan have been registered, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (CHA) confirmed on Thursday.

The UN has already been helping the first wave of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and is ready to enhance its assistance as numbers rise. The world body and its partners have distributed more than 1,500 tonnes of food so far, with household items having reached at least 40,000 people and hygiene kits having been delivered to 35,000 people, a UN statement said.

Pakistani security forces launched the ground assault on Oct. 17 in the South Waziristan, advancing towards the main base of Taliban militants in Pakistan. The army said that about 30,000 soldiers are in place to take on an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban militants in the lawless area.

The military said that the operation was launched in six towns of the area in three directions and is likely to continue for six to eight weeks.