Taliban targeting civilians to halt operation: Athar Abbas

ISLAMABAD : Taliban are targeting civilians to stop ongoing operation in South Waziristan while intelligence network of miscreants has been destroyed, DG ISPR Maj Gen Athar Abbas.

Talking to BBC Radio he said that during this operation Rah-e-Nijat 42 officers and jawans laid their lives and 123 injured while 446 miscreants killed. 16 terrorists are in forces custody.

Spokesman further said that security forces occupied basic centers of Taliban. Taliban actual target is minds of people and they want to change the minds of the masses but it is clear that masses are with the Army.

Athar Abbas said that Taliban want to stop the operation because it would be directly beneficial for them .He said that a new spirit has come among masses and they want complete wipeout of Taliban from their areas.

Answering to another question he said that it is right that foreign terrorists and their leadership disappear however this element cannot be rejected that they could reappear.

In this regard there are few things which should be kept in view that early south Waziristan was completely under Taliban control and held hostage the whole area.

He said that South Waziristan was their intelligence and information center, which has been destroyed, and they are deprived from other facilities.