Islamabad, June16: The government of Pakistan finally decided to launch a military offensive against the insurgents in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) that have been using the agency as a base for their terrorist plans across the country.
The operation has been named as Zarb-e-Azb and was kicked off on June 15, 2014 initially with aerial strikes targeting the hideouts of militants.
According to a Press Note released by Inter Services Public Relations the offensive has been officially launched in the agency with an aim to wipe out militants completely from the area.
“Acting upon the directives of government, Armed Forces of Pakistan have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists who are hiding in North Waziristan Agency”, said in the press note.
“The valiant armed forces have been tasked to eliminate these terrorists regardless of hue and color, along with their sanctuaries from the agency”, added further in the press note.
Since the start of the operation different sources have quoted multiple tolls of casualties however till the filling of this report FRC can’t give an independent authenticity of them.
“We have to rely upon the casualties being presented by security forces as no other independent or local source is available to be quoted however one thing is very clear that militants remained the target of aerial strikes and many have been killed so far”, revealed FRC correspondent based in the agency.
The local of the agency have been migrating to different areas of Pakistan including the adjacent districts of KPK but as per FRC correspondent, tribesmen prefer migration to Afghanistan.
“We are migrating to Afghanistan adjacent provinces, Khost ,Paktia and Pakhtika provinces, than to go towards settled areas of Pakistan owing to the ascending mercury in Pakistan these days”, said Khan Mohammad, a tribal elder, to FRC.
The local Taliban had also advised the area people to take refuge in adjacent Afghanistan than going to parts of Pakistan as mild temperature in Afghanistan suits them and a huge number of people have completed migration to Afghanistan before the onset of military operation.
“We are approaching Afghanistan by paying an exorbitant price to transporters only because of our convenience there as we are bound to suffer if we stay in government make-shifts tents here in Pakistan”, added Hikmat Ullah to FRC correspondent on telephone.
The head of the government of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, had convened a high level meeting, with military officials and federal ministers in attendance, to discuss the internal security of the country soon after militants’ attack over Karachi Airport last week. According to reports the master mind of Karachi Airport was affiliated with TTP having established bases in North Waziristan Agency.
