President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Thursday that tribesmen have killed about 300 foreign militants during a weekslong offensive near the Afghan border and acknowledged for first time that they received military support.

The fighting that began last month in South Waziristan has targeted mainly Uzbek militants with links to al-Qaida who have sheltered in the tribal region since escaping the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.

"The people of South Waziristan now have risen against the foreigners. They have killed about 300 of them, and they got support from the Pakistan army. They asked for support," Musharraf said in a speech at a military conference in Islamabad.

"We are demanding the same in North Waziristan, and there are indications the same may happen there also," he said, referring to the adjoining border region in northwestern Pakistan.

Musharraf's numbers were far higher than those given by Pakistani army officials to journalists on a trip to South Waziristan on Wednesday. They said that between 150 and 230 militants had died in the fighting, along with about 40 tribesmen.

Previously army officials had denied any direct involvement in the fighting, although they said that troops had moved into positions vacated by the foreigners.

The offensive has improved security around the main town in South Waziristan, Wana, but concerns remain that it could empower local pro-Taliban militants in the tribal militia who support the jihad, or holy war, against NATO and US forces in Afghanistan.