Pakistan military reasserts control over Taliban on Waziristan's mountain peaks

Pakistan army troops have "successfully completed" operations on treacherous terrain in the North Waziristan tribal region where the Pakistani Taliban militants and their foreign allies had established hideouts for years.

Hundreds of ground troops started their last phase of one of the most difficult operations in the forest-covered "Shawal Valley" in February and the country's Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, visited the area on April 18, to personally praise the forces for this major achievement.

With this, the Pakistani Taliban militants are no longer a threat as most of them have either been eliminated or have fled across the border into Afghanistan, according to the officials.

The security forces now control most of the peaks and overlook all narrow routes to check the movement of the militants even those still hiding in inaccessible areas. The militants can no longer move to and from their mountainous hideouts as they are under the strict observation of the security forces.

On the ground, the army now controls all major towns including Miranshah and Mir Ali and all main roads in the region. Both towns had previously been under the ultimate control of the Pakistani Taliban groups.

It took less than two years for the army to clear most of the areas of the dreaded Taliban groups who had established their fiefdom in North Waziristan, one of the seven tribal regions of Pakistan...
 [Xinhua - globaltimes.cn]
25/4/16
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