Major Taliban strongholds reclaimed by Pak Army : Malik

Islamabad, June 18 (ANI): The Pakistan Army has reportedly claimed back some of the major strongholds of the Taliban, as it continued to pound the hideouts of the insurgents in Swat and Malakand.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik said that the security forces have destroyed the Taliban's camps in several areas.

Malik said that the insurgents were now fleeing from the region due to the military offensive.

Referring to the government's decision to initiate a Swat like military operation in Waziristan, Malik said that the government would act whenever and wherever the extremists would challenge its writ.

"The Taliban were playing into the hands of anti-state elements and were attacking security forces in Waziristan, forcing the government to launch an offensive there too," The Daily Times quoted Malik, as saying.

He said the Taliban was being funded by the countries which wanted to destabilize Pakistan.

"The use of modern weaponry by the Taliban was proof that they were being funded by foreign elements, seeking to destabilize the country," Malik said. (ANI)