Roundup: 3,500 militants killed as Pakistan army operation marks 2 years

At least 3,500 militants and 490 soldiers were killed during the two-year armed offensive launched by Pakistani military in the country's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan, officials said.

Addressing a press briefing Wednesday on the second anniversary of the operation "Zarb-i-Azb," Lt-General Asim Bajwa, the Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani army's media wing, said that the troops, backed by jets fighters, destroyed 992 militants' hideouts during the offensive.

He said that during the last two years, the army has seized 253 tons of explosives, which were enough for the militants to make Improvised Explosive Devices for at least 15 years.

The director general said 7,500 bomb-making factories were closed down in Shawal area of the Agency.

The troops have also recovered modern weapons including 35,000 rockets and mortars during the operation, he said.

"At least 3,600 square kilometer area in the North Waziristan has been cleared of the militants. Before the operation, the agency was plagued with terrorists, but now there are just the last few pockets remaining in the Shawal valley," said Bajwa.

In his message on the second anniversary of the operation, the country's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the operation Zarb-i-Azb" is the everlasting tale of human determination, courage, fortitude, bravery and sacrifice which will continue to shine in the pages of the country's history and will also be a source of guidance for the new generations.

He added that the nation regained peace that was snatched by terrorists and anti-state elements.

The army chief General Raheel Sharif spent a whole day with the troops in the North Waziristan on Tuesday to boost up their morale.

The army chief said the militants will not be allowed to stage a comeback in the tribal regions and the army will continue its operation in the agency until the job is fully done.

Launched on June 15, 2014, the operation code-named "Zarb-i-Azb" (sharp strike) aimed at removing militancy from the North Waziristan Agency, a semi-autonomous tribal area along Pakistan-Afghan border.

Prior to the operation, the agency was not only a strong hold of local militants, but also a safe haven for Afghan and other foreign militants who sneaked into the agency to escape the U.S.-led NATO military operations in Afghanistan.

Pakistani terrorists also moved to North Waziristan after the government intensified military operations against them in South Waziristan and Swat areas.

Several arrested militants from various parts of the country revealed to army and police that they received training from North Waziristan.

Two-year operation created internal rifts in the major group of Pakistani Taliban, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, as some media reports said that it split into at least four groups.

The successful operation has resulted in less and less terrorist attacks in the country with every coming day.

Many small militant groups surrendered and showed support to Pakistani army during the operation.

In an interesting move, a major militant group in the country's east Punjab province announced to quit militancy and vowed to spend its resources in preaching Islam.

The operation was well received at both national and international levels.

Pakistani public showed full support to army and appreciated its move on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter.

All political parties in the country backed army in launching the operation.

The United States, its allies and the Afghan government, who had been asking Pakistan to launch an armed offensive against the Taliban which they believed were involved in carrying out attacks at U.S.-led NATO forces and Afghan army in Afghanistan, supported the operation and offered assistance.

The operation has led to displacement of over 1.5 million people from the area to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The ISPR said in an earlier statement that after the completion of the final phase of the operation, the military has shifted its focus to the repatriation of IDPs.

The repatriation and resettlement of the IDPs will be completed by the end of this year, the statement added. Endit