The 163 terror suspects capturedin last month's military operation in Pakistan's western tribal belt are still under custody, local media reported Tuesday.

The News, one of the country's elite English newspapers, quoteda military spokesman as saying that none of those detainees has been released so far.

Major General Shaukat Sultan, the spokesman, denied certain reports which said a number of those captured has been freed, noting that all of them are still being investigated for their possible links to the al-Qaeda and Taliban.

Those found innocent will be released, added the spokesman.

The restive tribal areas in Pakistan's western part have long been branded as a stronghold of terror fugitives since the US-led war on terrorism ended in the neighboring Afghanistan.

Last month Pakistan launched a major military crackdown in South Waziristan, one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, in which 163 terror suspects were nabbed and scores of others killed.

Source: Xinhua