The Pakistan Army on Saturday destroyed a stronghold of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan as President Asif Ali Zardari underlined his determination to fight the terrorists to the end. The military said it carried out air strikes in South Waziristan in retaliation for a suicide attack that killed a leading anti-Taliban scholar. Forty-one rebels and a soldier were killed in fresh fighting in Swat and nearby areas.

In a televised address, Zardari called on the people to unite behind the anti-Taliban cause. Zardari said: “We are fighting a war for our sovereignty.”

Television news channels reported the security forces had destroyed the militant hideouts in South Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud.