Email
Print
ShareIslamabad: Pakistan Army's offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan is moving along ahead of schedule as security forces have killed around 450 militants and captured several key rebel bases, chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas said today.
Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path to Salvation) is "going well ahead of time and the terrorists are on the run", Abbas said.
Sararogha, once seen as the operational base of the Taliban, has been cleared and troops had entered Makeen, another important headquarters of the militants, he said.
Around 450 militants have been killed and many others arrested while 42 soldiers, including officers, had lost their lives in the fighting, Abbas said in an interview with Radio Pakistan.
Another 142 soldiers had been injured. "Most importantly, we are enjoying not only the support of the masses but that of the tribes as well. Our real target is to free the Mehsud tribe from the claws of the terrorist organisation so that they can lead their lives according to their customs," Abbas said.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who is believed to be in the lawless South Waziristan region, belongs to the Mehsud tribe.
Despite the government's efforts, the Mehsud tribe has not risen in revolt against the Taliban. The military has said ithas registered several early successes in the operation in South Waziristan but its claims cannot be independently verified as journalists are barred from the conflict zone.
The Taliban have claimed that militants had pulled out of key bases as part of a "war strategy" and would launch counter-attacks once the army moved deeper into Waziristan.
However, Abbas claimed the militants were fleeing the area in small groups.
"We have informed the (political) administration and tribal elders not to allow the entry of these terrorists in their areas as they will undermine the peace of these areas. They should not be allowed to stay in their areas," he said.
Responding to a question, he said the Taliban have no potential to fight the army and inflict heavy damage in the areas where the operation is being conducted.
Therefore, the militants are "hitting soft targets in civilian areas", he said.
"Through acts of terrorism, they want to storm the minds of the people. They want to put pressure on the masses to prevail on the government to stop the operation. But these terrorists cannot demoralise the people. The people want the army to exterminate this outfit," Abbas said.
