Major Pakistan offensive aims to 'finish off' militants in North Waziristan

By Saima Mohsin, Sophia Saifi and Saleem Mehsud

Pakistan on Sunday launched a military operation in a restive province near the border with Afghanistan in an attempt to "finish off" militants in the area "once and for all," Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told CNN.

Asif said the operation, which included airstrikes early Sunday, was the government's second option, but negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban failed.

Earlier the military released a statement that said 50 suspected terrorists were killed in the strikes. The air raids were based on intelligence about the presence of foreign and local militants who were linked to last week's deadly attack on the Karachi airport, the military said.

Asif said the Karachi airport attack was the "straw that broke the camel's back."

Pakistani Taliban sources said jets dropped five bombs on the Degan area of North Waziristan. The target was a meeting of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan members, the militant group said, but added that the number of casualties is unclear. "In this operation we will not differentiate between foreign and local militants," Asif said. "We are determined to finish them off, once and for all."

Most of the fatalities in the strikes were Uzbek fighters, the military said. The raid took place in Degan and Datta Khel.

Asif said the military hopes to conclude the offensive -- called Zarb-e-Azb in Urdu, which translates to "Strike of the Prophet's Sword" -- by the beginning of Ramadan on June 28. But it may take two or three months, he said, until "our land ... is free of this menace."

He said it is a Pakistani-only operation and the United States hasn't been asked to assist with drone strikes.

Northwestern Pakistan is home to loosely governed tribal areas. It's also a base for foreign fighters and a refuge for members of the Islamist militant Haqqani movement.

Last week, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan claimed it carried out the airport attack, which resulted in an hours-long siege and left dozens dead, including the assailants. The militants said the attack was carried out with the Pakistani Taliban.

There were reports that travelers were congregating in hotels and restaurants in towns like Bannu after being stranded due to a curfew that began Friday. Asif said the government will help out residents.

"We are at war now. There will be inevitable fallouts," he said. "If there is blowback, we are ready and prepared to assist people who have had to flee from their homes."