He said he had seen no trace of fugitive al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden during the long operation. Troops are now focusing on developing infrastructure as well as medical and educational facilities, he added.

Gen. Khattak said his forces had killed 306 militants and arrested 700 others since the start of military operations in the area more than a year ago, adding he believed between 500 and 600 fighters linked to al-Qaeda had been in the region last year.

"According to our intelligence reports, now we think there is absolutely none in South Waziristan," Gen. Khattak told journalists, adding that those killed included about 100 foreigners, and that about 250 Pakistani troops had died in the military campaign.

Yet, even as Pakistani troops declared operations over in South Waziristan, they came under pressure from U.S. commanders in Afghanistan to mount an assault to the north, where militants are believed to have fled.