Islamabad: A high-level meeting of civil and military officials chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday reviewed the progress of the ongoing anti-terror military operation in Pakistan’s tribal areas, along the border with Afghanistan.
No details were released after the meeting, but an official statement said the meeting also took stock of the implementation of a national action plan launched earlier this year to combat terrorism and other related activities across Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by key federal ministers, Army Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif and the head of Inter-Services Intelligence.
According to information officially made available to the media in recent weeks, thousands of suspects have been held in the country in intelligence-based operations.
Effective measures have also been taken under the plan to tighten the noose around terror cells in cities and towns throughout the country, officials say.
Paramilitary rangers have been hunting down militants and criminals in Karachi, the violence-plagued southern port city and financial centre of the country.
Amid the crackdown, militants from the outlawed local Taliban outfit and allied extremist groups have carried out sporadic retaliatory attacks in the northwestern tribal areas and elsewhere in the country.
On Wednesday, nine security personnel were reportedly injured in two separate blasts caused by improvised explosive devices in the Mohmand Agency tribal district.
Two militant hideouts were also destroyed in the district in an operation conducted by security forces, the reports said.
Mohmand is one of the seven tribal districts near the Afghan border.
The military offensive was launched on June 15, 2014 in the North Waziristan tribal area, which before the operation used to be the main base for foreign and local militants.
According to the military most of the North Waziristan region has been cleared of militant presence.
