Elders in a restive tribal
region in northwest Pakistan will support the army in
launching an operation against Taliban militants, a top
military commander said today.Lt Gen Asif Yasin Malik,
the commander of the army's
Peshawar Corps who supervises operations in the tribal
regions, told reporters in the northwestern city that the
operation in Kurrum Agency was being launched on the demand
and with the consent of tribal elders.A grand jirga or council of tribal elders recently
convened in Kurram Agency had called for the operation against
the militants.Other officials said the security forces will conduct
operation in the central parts of Kurram Agency to eliminate
and expel militants who launch attacks on security forces and
block roads.Authorities have also set up a camp for people who may
be displaced as a result of the operation.Officials said around 250 families had already been
moved out of central Kurram Agency to avoid casualties in the
conflict zone.The decision to launch the operation was taken after a
recent attack by militants on a security check post that
killed a soldier and injured several others.Security officials said the militants entered Kurram
Agency from Afghanistan's Khost province.The situation in Kurram Agency has been affected by
sectarian clashes between Shias and Sunnis over the past three
years. PTI