Pakistan Vows to Eliminate Terrorist Sanctuaries

Islamabad: The Pakistani military says the operation it launched in a remote tribal region of the northwest will clear the area of terrorists and stop its use as a safe haven by militant groups.

During a briefing to foreign media Tuesday, spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa also called on Afghanistan to act against its own militants who attack Pakistan, including the leader of the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan launched the operation in the North Waziristan tribal region on June 15, starting mostly with airstrikes and then sending in ground forces on Monday.

North Waziristan was the last tribal region where the Pakistani military had not launched an operation, and the region had become a hub for numerous militant groups including the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network and the Pakistani Taliban.