Islamabad, July 23 (IANS): The Pakistani army said that security forces have "killed many terrorists" during an on-going major operation against militant groups.

"Many terrorists have been killed, a few fled to Afghanistan. Terrorists hideouts dismantled, cache of Improvised Explosive Devices, arms and ammunition recovered," said the statement on Saturday.

Security forces launched a major operation on July 16 in Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border to choke passages of armed groups, especially the cross-border movement of Daesh or Islamic State, Xinhua news agency reported.

Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said earlier that the operation codenamed "Khyber 4" was started after some arrested terror suspects revealed their links with Daesh on the Afghan side of the border.

"Operation continues with major achievement last night when troops, including Special Services Group, successfully cleared the highest and craggiest mountain top Brekh Muhammad Kandao near Pak-Afghan border," the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have a nearly 2,600-km common border, mostly porous, and the militants use inaccessible routes in mountains for cross-border movements.