ISLAMABAD: Though the country has been in the grip of terrorism since the 9/11 attacks in the US, the government of Pakistan decided to use the full force of state against militants in 2007 after the Lal Masjid Operation in Islamabad.

The following are major military operations carried out by armed forces against local and foreign militants in the troubled tribal areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent past:

Operation Rah-i-Haq-I in Swat valley and Shangla district (2007)

Operation Rah-i-Haq-II in Swat valley and Shangla (2008)

Operation Sirat-i-Mustaqeem in Khyber Agency (2008)

Operation Sherdil jointly launched with Frontier Corps in Bajaur Agency (2008)

Operation Rah-i-Haq-III in Swat valley and Shangla (2009)

Operation Black Thunderstorm in Buner, Lower Dir and Shangla district (2009)

Operation Brekhna in Mohmand Agency (2009)

Operation Rah-i-Rast, commonly known as Swat Operation, (2009)

Operation Rah-i-Nijat in South Waziristan (2009)

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2014