Pak-US military commanders agree on surgical strikes
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Oct 22, IRNA -- Pakistan and US military commanders have agreed to act against militant sanctuaries at respective sides of Pak-Afghan border, media report said on Saturday.
Daily ‘The Nation’ reported that disagreement between Pakistan and the US still persists over Haqqanis’ presence in North Waziristan tribal agency.
As per a reported agreement reached during the meetings of the top military and intelligence brass of both the states, the US and Nato troops would not initiate any ground operations in Pakistani tribal areas.
Pakistan would hold crackdowns against the militants but it would not launch a direct or full-scale military offensive in North Waziristan.
Both the countries would resume intelligence cooperation between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for hunting down the militants at both sides of the border.
Separate reported meetings of Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI Director General Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha with US Army chief General Raymond T Odierno and CIA chief General David Petraeus were held in last couple of days.
Cross-borer intelligence cooperation had disrupted after the US and Nato had deployed troops at Afghanistan’s Khost city that borders North Waziristan, for target identification of militants.
The differences over the Haqqani network sanctuaries still persist between both the sides. The Pakistani Army is adamant that the Haqqani network is not based in North Waziristan.
The recent crackdowns of Nato in Kunar and Nuristan have exerted pressure on Pakistan to act on its part.
Pakistan’s military has agreed to launch crackdowns on the militants but contends that it is not in a position to launch a full-scale operation at the moment.
In a related development, Pakistan deployed additional troops in Khyber Agency’s Bara region to launch a crackdown on militants.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30624894
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