North Waziristan: What happened after militants lost the battle?

by Dramelin 4:30 PM 0 comments

"Before 2014 North Waziristan was a hub of terrorist activities," said General Hassan Azhar Hayat, who commands 30,000 men in North Waziristan.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Pakistani troops cleared militants from North Waziristan in a long, bloody campaignFor over a decade the inaccessible and mountainous tribal area of North Waziristan was home to a swirling array of violent jihadists.
When the jihadists fled North Waziristan they left behind the apparatus that had helped keep their movement in power.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Pakistan keeps a major military presence in North Waziristan and along the border with AfghanistanImage copyright AFP Image caption Some of those who fled North Waziristan at the height of the unrest are now starting to returnThe battle for North Waziristan - like those for Mosul and Aleppo - has left widespread destruction.
But for all their latent power, the militants in North Waziristan have been repulsed from their stronghold and the tribesmen are gradually returning to resume lives disrupted by conflict.