ISLAMABAD — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday praised the Pakistani military’s operation against militants in the country’s northwest, saying the results are “significant.”
His comments came during a meeting in Islamabad with Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistani prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs.
Pakistan launched a major operation in the North Waziristan region in June. The U.S. had long advocated for such an operation because the region had become a hub for militant groups who attack targets in both Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan and a source of tension between the U.S., Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The current operations “in the northwest have disrupted militant activities in the tribal areas and resulted in important seizures of weapons,” Kerry said. “The operation is not yet complete but already the results are significant. Pakistani soldiers and their commanders deserve enormous credit.”
Kerry also announced that $250 million in previously appropriated money will be given to emergency relief efforts in the tribal areas, mainly North Waziristan. Hundreds of thousands of people fled the area due to the fighting.