Won't allow anyone to kill our children: COAS

The army will not allow the killing of fellow countrymen and will expose all enablers, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif was quoted as saying during his visit to Shawal area on Thursday.

In a series of tweets, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa said that army chief spent the day with troops engaged in the operation in Shawal area of North Waziristan. The DG ISPR tweeted that the army chief visited a military post located on a 12,000 feet high mountain overlooking the Shawal Valley, where a multi-pronged operation is being carried out to eliminate terrorists. He added that "203 terrorists have been killed so far in the operation".

General Raheel commended the troops on their efforts and gains in the operation, adding that the valley is being sanitised. He also said that "the morale of the troops is inspiring". The army chief directed the troops to comprehensively cleanse terrorist hide-outs, reduce the number of isolated terrorists and sever their links with their accomplices.

The army chief also said that because of the accomplishments of our troops, the army has no match when it comes to the war against terror. He further commended troops for their "extraordinary" achievements in the operations. Military operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched in North Waziristan on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and the failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators. Authorities have since vowed to intensify operations, using air strikes, artillery and mortars to take back territory both in the border regions and other parts of the country.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws which is situated along the Pak-Afghan border.