By NNN-PTI,
Islamabad : Fierce gunbattles were reported raging as Pakistani troops continued to inch deeper into the Taliban’s heartland in Waziristan in the country’s restive northwest, as a top US military General arrived here to discuss the operations with political and military leaders.
“We are closing in on the heartland of (slain Pakistani Taliban chief) Baitullah (Mehsud’s) organisation in the area,” Chief Military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas claimed, acknowledging the presence of al Qaida militants in the area.
Having code-named the campaign as ‘Rah-e-Nijat’ or ‘Path to Salvation,’ Abbas said Pakistan military was advancing on two axes from the southeast and southwest on Taliban’s main defences in the region.
“We are also blocking (routes) in the north so that they do not escape towards either North Waziristan or the border area (with Afghanistan),” Abbas said.