Pakistan vows to defeat militants within a month

Mon Oct 26, 2009

Pakistani Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar says that his forces will defeat pro-Taliban militants based in the South Waziristan tribal area "within a month."

"I am confident that the insurgents in South Waziristan will be flushed out within a month, but there may be more retaliatory attacks," Mukhtar told The Sunday Times.

He made the remarks as Pakistani army troops are advancing on the militants' main strongholds in South Waziristan from three directions.

On Sunday, Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani visited troops in Wana, the region's main town.

Kayani stated that the troops were fighting against a "handful of terrorists" who had made people "hostage to their anti-state agenda."

So far, 162 insurgents and 22 troops have been killed since the army launched a major offensive nine days ago.

At the same time, a wave of militant attacks in Pakistani cities has killed nearly 200 people in less than four weeks.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109633.html.