LONDON - Karachi Airport attack declared 'game changer' for Pakistan when negotiations were underway with militants at that time, BBC quoting Pakistan military spokesman reported on Thursday.
ISPR Director General Asim Bajwa said Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas was decided after dreadful attack on Karachi Airport on June 8, 2014, killing at least 36 people.
The spokesman said the terror attack was thwarted at Karachi Airport. He said the government tried to take benefits through dialogue with the militants but later decided to hold intense operation after the airport incident.
Bajwa said the military got significant achievement during Operation Zarb-e-Azb in Waziristan and all terrorism spots were destroyed before occurrence of any mishap. Command and control system of militants was completely destroyed during military operation in tribal areas, he said.
He said Taliban militants have established communication system in North Waziristan while South Waziristan was also a stronghold of Taliban militants.
Effective operation was underway in Khyber Agency against militant groups that were providing shelter for Taliban insurgents, Bajwa said. He claimed the militants have large ammunition of weapons and locally-made bombs in Khyber Agency.
He said that several bomb factories running under control of Taliban insurgents were seized during the operation.
He admitted Taliban insurgents were in contact with terror groups in Afghanistan and the NATO-led security mission International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had been informed by Pakistan that terrorists could enter in Afghanistan.
He said the militants were now facing actions in few areas by ISAF underway in Afghanistan.