Pakistan on Wednesday celebrated several achievements of the anti-terror operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa, the Army spokesperson who also  heads military’s media wing – the Inter-Service Public Relations –  recounted the gains that made in North Waziristan and elsewhere in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan.

“June 15 is a historic day for us. Before Zarb-e-Azb, the country, including North Waziristan, was plagued with terrorism.” Bajwa told the media.

“Over a period of two years, an area of 4,304 sq km in North Waziristan has been cleared of terrorists,” said the General to the context of exchange of firing between Pakistani and Afghan border troops resulting in a few deaths, including a Pakistani major Jawad Changezi.

Gen Bajwa singled out “intelligence-based operations” as the key to success against terrorists from Waziristan to Karachi. “The intelligence-based operations were an “innovative solution.” These aimed at  interrogating captives and information-gathering from locals alike. Even the local communities stepped forward to support the army crackdown.

“Ever since the population started becoming more aware, the number of facilitators have been reduced and networks have been broken apart in over 280 such operations.”