Zarb-i-Azb: North Waziristan ground operation kicks off

PESHAWAR: Ground troops were moved in to Miramshah Bazaar on Thursday as tanks and artillery continued to pound militant hideouts in and around the bazaar. Sources said that after weakening the targets with air assaults, security forces were now moving into the built area and clearing hideouts. The officials said that security forces were also consolidating the positions in and around Miramshah Bazaar. The official sources also said that the ground offensive in Miramshah has started at 6 am and would continue. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) is yet to issue an official confirmation of casualties in the operation. The military operation named 'Zarb-i-Azb' was initiated in the North Waziristan region in June. At least 430,000 people have fled the region into nearby areas of Pakistan as well as neighbouring Afghanistan, the biggest movement of refugees in Pakistan in years. Security officials had claimed that over 200 local and foreign militants had been killed in the aerial bombings. Earlier a ground assault was delayed due to the issues that cropped up during evacuation of internally displaced people (IDPs). Operation Zarb-i-Azb: Interactive map Latest: Ground offensive kicks off as troops move into Miramshah. Data gathered from ISPR and Dawn