RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday said in his message on the completion of three years of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad that gains made during the past two decades of the war on terror will be consolidated to achieve enduring peace and stability for Pakistan and the wider region.
The statement by the army chief comes on the third anniversary of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad – a counter-terrorism operation launched in the urban areas of the country after terrorist sanctuaries in the erstwhile tribal areas were neutralised.
“Operation aims at indiscriminately eliminating residual/latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring the security of the borders,” said the ISPR at the launch of the operation on Feb 22, 2017.
In a series of tweets, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) paid tribute to the martyrs and the sacrifices rendered by security forces in achieving stability and peace in the country.
“Tribute to our martyrs, our real heroes, our pride.”
The military media wing said the residual and latent threat of terrorism was eliminated ‘indiscriminately ‘ and the effort was backed by the entire nation.
Terming the journey from ‘Terrorism to Tourism’ the ISPR added that the successes were achieved at a “monumental cost paid in men and material”.
Praising the nation for being resilient and defeating the extremist ideology, the military also appreciated the citizenry’s unflinching support to the armed forces.
History of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
In February 2017, the terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for several suicide attacks across the country.
With an increase of attacks across the country, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
The intensive nation-wide operation against terror groups, steered by Army Chief Bajwa, successfully thwarted hundreds of terrorist plots across the country.
According to defence analysts and former military officials, the operation was not easy by any measure.
During Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, the military carried out more than 49,000 Intelligence Based Operations (IBO) to foil terror attacks and prevent militants from disrupting life across the country.
Defence analyst Maj-Gen (retd) Inamul Haq credits operation Radd-ul-Fasaad for helping Pakistan establish complete control over tribal areas.
“The overall law and order situation has improved across the board. The country is safer than any time in history,” he said.
