Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced that the military operation targeting Taliban militants based in the South Waziristan tribal region is now over, after nearly two months. Military officials say more than 600 Taliban members and some 80 soldiers have been killed in the operation near the Afghan border. These numbers have not been independently verified because, except for a few military-organized trips, the military has largely closed the area to journalists and aid agencies. The United Nations reported that about 40,000 of people have fled the region, and need humanitarian aid. The Pakistani military has said the goals of the offensive were to clear Taliban-controlled areas and force the group's leaders to take refuge in scattered villages. Once that was achieved, the military said it would be easier for the army to conduct intelligence-led operations to capture or kill these leaders, including Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Meshud .
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced that the military operation targeting Taliban militants based in the tribal region is now over, after nearly two months. Military officials say more than 600 members and some 80 soldiers have been killed in the operation near the Afghan border. These numbers have not been independently verified because, except for a few military-organized trips, the military has largely closed the area to journalists and aid agencies. The United Nations reported that about 40,000 of people have fled the region, and need humanitarian aid. The Pakistani military has said the goals of the offensive were to clear Taliban-controlled areas and force the group's leaders to take refuge in scattered villages. Once that was achieved, the military said it would be easier for the army to conduct intelligence-led operations to capture or kill these leaders, including Pakistani Taliban chief .
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South Waziristan
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Taliban
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Hakimullah Meshud