ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Friday visited the restiveNorth Wazaristan region in the tribal belt bordering Afganistan, described by US and Afghan officials as a safe haven for al-Quida and Taliban militants.
Kayani was briefed by officials in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, about "current operational and development activities being pursued by the army" and the local administration, said a statement from the military.
"While interacting with troops involved in the operation, the (army chief) lauded their sacrifices and efforts in fighting the menace of terrorism," the statement said.
On his arrival, Kayani was received by the Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani.
The US has been pressuring Pakistan to launch operations against groups based in North Waziristan, including the Haqqani network, which are blamed for cross-border attacks in Afghanistan.
Islamabad says its troops are stretched due to operations in other areas and it will decide the timing of any offensive in North Waziristan.
The CIA-operated drone campaign against militants in the tribal belt has focussed on North Waziristan, which has witnessed scores of missile strikes in the past few years.
Some bombs used in the recent plots shared certain features such as the use of military grade plastic explosives and magnets to attach the device to metal targets. While some had been detonated by remote control, others had relied on the "crude but effective tactic of pulling the pin on a hand grenade."
The summary said the plotters had on occasion used local criminal elements, citing a plot in Baku where Iranian Revolutionary Guards agents provided weapons, equipment and selected the target for attack by Azeri criminals.
"This is an extremely dangerous combination," the report concluded, adding that the geographic spread of the attacks and the willingness to go with less sophisticated plots "may add to the danger rather than lessen it."
Edited By Cen Fox Post Team
