The Pakistani political and military leadership have decided in principle to launch an operation against Taliban fighters in their South Waziristan stronghold, local media reports said. The reports on Saturday came after four-hour crisis talks after continued bomb attacks in the country, and the offensive could begin within the next 24-hours. Hundreds of residents in the South Waziristan have been moving out of the area in anticipation of the military offensive. The UN has said that they expect the number of refugees to rise significantly once the operation starts. A curfew was imposed in South Wazaristan on Saturday, ahead of any offensive. Mohammad Khalid Khan, a senior government official, said: "The curfew is for the protection of military convoys [moving toward Taliban strongholds] and it is on the roads. The bazaars are opened." The government said on Friday that a ground offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan was imminent and the army has been stepping up its air and artillery attacks in recent days to soften up their defences. Pakistani forces attacked the Taliban in South Waziristan on the same day with aircraft and artillery.
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