Mehsud says militants will take on army soon

Hakimullah said he remained confident despite the large-scale military operation targeting him and his fighters in South Waziristan Agency bordering Afghanistan.

“We have conserved our energy and have not lost our morale,” he said in a phone call.

He said the local Taliban leadership is safe but did not reveal where they are taking refuge.

The army says over 600 militants and more than 60 soldiers have died so far in fighting in South Waziristan,where 30,000 troops backed by artillery and tanks launched an offensive against the Taliban in October.

The army’s figures cannot be independently verified as reporters have no access to the conflict zone.

Soldiers have secured many Taliban strongholds,including Hakimullah’s hometown,but no top militant leaders have been killed or captured so far.

Hakimullah too has not been seen in public for several weeks and observers believe he may be in North Waziristan or other nearby tribal regions.

Cities across Pakistan have been hit by a deadly wave of bombings and suicide attacks since the army launched the operation in South Waziristan. Many attacks have targeted the security forces.

Militants have struck the army’s fortified General Headquarters and a mosque frequented by military personnel in Rawalpindi,Inter-Services Intelligence agency offices in Peshawar and Multan and police stations across the northwest.

Over 400 people have died in these attacks.