Forty-six militants and five soldiers were killed in a major offensive launched by Pakistan's security forces to wrest control of areas from the extremists in the country's tribal region while thousands of residents fled the scene of the fierce clashes, which erupted coinciding with President George W Bush's [Images] visit.

Army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told reporters Sunday that 46 miltants and five soldiers were killed and 10 more injured in fighting in north Waziristan region.

• Bush Visit

Earlier, Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said over 100 militants, including many foreigners, were killed in the counterattacks by the army.

Sultan said that the local administration has now retaken control of the government buildings, earlier controlled by the militants in Miranshah, the headquarters of north Waziristan.

He said 25 militants were killed in Miranshah and 21 others were killed in Mir Ali, another major town in the region.

"These figures are not fixed it could be more. I am not in too much hurry to say about the figures. I am not sure how many are foreigners were killed, but they are mixed," he said.

The fighting erupted Saturday after militants launched a massive rocket attack on government installations in Mir Ali a small town in of the north Waziristan tribal region.

Sultan confirmed the migration of the local people from the tense region to safe places. 

Asked about residents leaving Miran Shah, Sultan said, "They will go to safer places. Such a thing happened in south Waziristan in 2004, but later they returned."

About the civilian casualties, the army spokesman said the militants were firing from the buildings where they had taken positions. "In this situation the civilian casualties cannot be ruled out," he said.

"The militants had challenged the government writ and the security forces had to use force as the action became necessary," he said.