Musharraf spoke during an interview with ABC News, one day after an audio tape -- attributed to Zawahiri -- urged Pakistan's military to support al-Qaeda and sweep Musharraf from power.

Musharraf's interview followed execution of eight Pakistani soldiers taken hostage in fighting by al-Qaeda-linked militants near the Afghan border, officials said yesterday, raising the temperature in an offensive on Islamic radicals.

"Now as far as if he's taunting me well, I would like to say that I'm going to eliminate all of them," Pakistan's leader said, referring to Zawahiri and al-Qaeda loyalists.

"I mean, Zawahiri is on the run. For heaven's sake, it's just one tape. Let's not get excited," Musharraf said.

"It's very clear we'll eliminate them, and the tribal elders are cooperating," he added.

The call was made in a tape broadcast by the Arab Al-Jazeera television network late Thursday and attributed to al-Qaeda deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri in a recording described by US intelligence as "probably authentic."

The tape called on Pakistan's military to "not obey orders" and overthrow Musharraf's administration, which it calls a "traitor government."

Pakistan's military and government have poured scorn on the tape.

Furious Islamists took to Pakistan's streets Friday to protest the 11-day military operation against tribal fighters and al-Qaeda militants along Pakistan's northern border with Afghanistan, as rebel tribesmen at the centre of the battle refused to hand over hostages until troops withdraw.

EXECUTION OF 8 SOLDIERS
The executed soldiers, their hands tied behind their backs and apparently shot at point-blank range, were found in a ditch on Friday near Wana, the capital of the South Waziristan area in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal territories.

They were likely taken hostage and killed shortly after their convoy was ambushed on Monday, a Pakistan army official said. Twelve other soldiers died in the ambush.

The latest deaths could spark an outburst of anger against the al-Qaeda militants, many of them Uzbeks, Arabs and Chechens whose local support could be threatened by the brutal killing.

"It was a cold-blooded murder," said Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the army's spokesman. "We have identified the local and foreign militants and now we are chasing them."