ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said the army has managed to eliminate the terrorists' command and control centre in the North Waziristan tribal region, DawnNews reported.

Asif said the armed forces were going after the terrorists, adding that these elements would be apprehended regardless of where they may be located in the country.

"The state will go after the terrorists in all provinces," the minister said, adding that the state had managed to ensure that the network of militants had started to collapse.

The defence minister's statement comes a little over a month after the launch of a full scale military operation in North Waziristan.

Zarb-i-Azb: The 'War of Survival'

Operation Zarb-i-Azb in the militancy-infested region was launched nearly a week after the attack on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport in order to wipe out longstanding bases of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups.

The semi-autonomous tribal area on the Afghan border has for years been a hideout for several militant groups including Al-Qaeda and the TTP as well as foreign fighters such as Uzbeks and Uighurs.