About 1,150 militants have been killed in the ongoing army offensive against the Taliban, the Pakistan's military said today, rejecting apprehensions that border tensions with India may have have affected the operations against terrorists in the country's tribal belt.
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa told media that the operations would continue till militancy was completely wiped out.
He said more than 1,100 terrorists were killed in Zarb-i-Azb operation launched against Taliban in North Waziristan in mid-June while another 44 were killed in Khyber-I offensive unleashed against rebels in Khyber tribal district at the start of this month.
He said that around 100 militants have been arrested in Khyber-I operation and several have been injured.
He refused to give a deadline to complete these operations. "They will continue till the areas are cleared of militants," he said.
Bajwa rejected that army's attention was divided due to clashes with Indian army on the Line of Control (LoC) and said Pak Army was capable of giving an appropriate response on the eastern border and the troops along the western border will not be reduced despite tension with India.
He said that army was also after militants hiding in other parts of the country and it carried out about 2,500 raids across the country with the help of intelligence agencies since start of Zarb-e-Azb.
He said that Pakistan had informed the NATO forces in Afghanistan before start of North Waziristan offensive.
Pakistan had also sought cooperation from Afghanistan but the Afghan side did not provide the kind of support Pakistan has expected.
The spokesman also alleged that outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership was present in Afghanistan and was attacking Pakistan.
He said the rebels fled to the neighbouring country through porous border but they will not be spared.
He criticised Afghanistan for installing mobile phone signal tower close to the border which makes use of their SIM cards possible in Pakistan and they are misused by militants in terrorist attacks. He hoped that such towers will be relocated.
