Pakistan army chief vows to make nation "terror free"

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has vowed to apprehend all terrorists, their facilitators and financiers in order to achieve the objective of a 'terror-free' Pakistan.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Sharif, who returned from a three-day visit to Moscow last night, spent the entire day with troops in the Khyber Agency to review the progress of a military operation against terrorists, which is in its concluding phase.

Sharif first visited Jawaro near the Pakistan and Afghanistan border where terrorist strongholds have been greatly reduced, and "now fight in progress in last few pockets," DG ISPR, Major-General Asim Saleem Bajwa tweeted.

Addressing the troops, Sharif said the area in which the operation was carried out was heavily infested with IEDs, mostly foreign-made, and after North Waziristan, terrorists in Khyber Agency were using the most rugged terrain as their strongholds.

However, with the support of the nation for the military operation, the unflinching national resolve and clear direction, the armed forces will accomplish their end objective of a terror free Pakistan, an ISPR statement quoted him, as saying.

"Noose has been tightened and terrorists will not be allowed to re-establish themselves," he said, according to the ISPR statement.

General Sharif also paid special tribute to the martyrs and soldiers wounded during the operation.

He also complimented tribals of the region for their support to evict terrorists from the agency and appreciated their resolve of not allowing terrorists to return to these areas.

He lauded the efforts of all law enforcement agencies, in their counter terrorism efforts across the country, and vowed that all terrorists, their facilitator, abettors and financiers will be apprehended and brought to justice.

He later also visited a de-radicalisation centre in Bara, where militants who surrendered during Operation Khyber are being imparted education and vocational training.