The Pentagon on Tuesday advised Pakistani military to take the extremists in the country "head on" and defeat them.
"Wherever those threats exist, we would be encouraging of the Pakistani military taking it to them head on and defeating them," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told
reporters at a press briefing when asked if the Pak military would extend its operation against the militants in the North and South Waziristan area.
"I am not going to go through a strategy; we want them to go here next and they're after that. I mean, they are an independent, sovereign nation that makes decisions on its own about what's in its interests in terms of self-defence," Morrell said.
"But we are clearly encouraged by the fact that, ever since there was this encroachment on Islamabad by the Taliban and associated other militant groups, that we are seeing an aggressive and sustained military operation in response," he said.
"We are, from a Defense Department perspective, very encouraged by the fact that they have continued these operations, and they show no signs of letting up at this point," Morrell said.