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* Corps commander says all terrorist bases destroyed in Tribal Areas

PESHAWAR: Pakistan told the international community in Kabul on Saturday that terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and Taliban were no more in a position to launch cross-border attacks on the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan after successful military operations in restive South Waziristan and other tribal regions.

Corps Commander Lieutenant General Safdar Hussain gave the assurance during a briefing to Kabul-based foreign military attaches that visited 11 Corps Headquarters to get first-hand information on the war against terror in Pakistan.

“By deploying more than 70,000 troops and establishing 669 military posts along the border with Afghanistan, it is now impossible for terrorists to launch cross-border attacks,” Gen Safdar told military attaches from the United Kingdom, the US, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Poland, Turkey, and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

The Kabul-based American, European and Asian defence attaches’ meeting with Gen Safdar, who is leading military operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants and their tribal facilitators, was the first of its kind. The meeting comes amid increasing attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan and on Afghans siding with the US, with the Taliban taking the credit for the attacks.

Gen Safdar said Pakistan would assist the international community in eradicating terrorism. “Being a signatory to the United Nations conventions on counter-terrorism, Pakistan will play its role in the war on terror,” he said.

He said that stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan went hand-in-hand, which was the reason that Pakistan supported the Bonn Agreement.

He told the visiting diplomats that in 48 military operations, security forces killed 306 terrorists, including over 150 foreigners, while 703 had been arrested. The security forces suffered 251 casualties and 550 personnel were wounded. The security forces had been able to destroy the command and control bases of the terrorists in Waziristan, Gen Safdar said. “There will be no let-up in the war against terrorism and the operations will continue till the last terrorist is arrested or killed. These operations are necessary for the security of the country,” he said.

“The international community greatly values the sacrifices made by troops of security forces in combating terrorism. The way Pakistan Army dealt with terrorists was incredible and was an example for other countries to follow,” the visiting military attaches said. They commended Pakistan as a frontline state in the war on terror, and said the country had achieved considerable success in the fight against terrorist organisations. staff report