BANNU: Army Chief General Raheel Sharif said on Saturday that the entire nation, particularly the tribesmen of North Waziris­tan Agency, stood by the army in the Operation Zarb-i-Azb being carried out against militants in the region.

Addressing the internally displaced persons at Bakakhel in Frontier Region Bannu on Saturday after visiting Mirali in North Waziristan Agency, he said that displaced people would be sent back to their homes very soon.

He said security forces had made major gains against militants in North Waziristan and trouble makers would never be allowed to re-establish their sanctuaries in the area.

“The progress of Operation Zarb-i-Azb is satisfactory and the army is proceeding effectively to flush out militants from the area,” Gen Sharif said.

“On September 6, 1965, the Pak Army had defeated the enemy and had won the war to establish peace in the country. At that time, too, the entire nation was behind the army and the same is case today when the army is engaged in the operation against militants,” he added.

Earlier, the army chief visited Mirali in the restive agency and addressed the troops engaged in Operation Zarb-i-Azb. He said that troops would rid North Waziristan of terrorists, adding that the role of the army in the operation was laudable.

According to ISPR, the army chief celebrated 48th Defence Day with troops in Mirali.

Appreciating special integrated security teams that have carried out sweeping pre-emptive operations in major cities and killed and captured hundreds of hard core terrorists, he directed continuation of such operations.

Gen Sharif said that soldiers involved in Operation Zarb-i-Azb were writing new chapters of valour and sacrifices. He appreciated the expertise and efforts of aviation and intelligence, who had immensely contributed in precise targeting of terrorists and disrupting their command arrangements.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2014