MOSCOW, January 13 (Sputnik) — US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday praised the efforts of the Pakistani government in fighting terrorist groups in the northwest of the country, but noted that the struggle is not over.
He added that both the United States and Pakistan must ensure that militant groups "are no longer able to secure a foothold" in the region.
Kerry's visit to Pakistan comes one month after a terrorist attack on a military school in Peshawar, northern Pakistan, conducted by Taliban gunmen. The Taliban claimed that the attack was a response to army operations against Taliban in Pakistan’s northwestern region of Waziristan.
The Taliban group, formed in the 1990s, seeks the establishment of sharia law in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is known for terrorist attacks against authorities and civilians in both countries. The Haqqani network, believed to be related to the Taliban, is a radical Islamist group active both in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
