Commander of the Central Command, General Lloyd J Austin, in a testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, acknowledged the effectiveness of the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation in clearing militant strongholds in North Waziristan and other tribal areas.
He also expressed support for stronger bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan and noted that Pakistan-India tensions threatened regional security.
Appearing in the same hearing, Under Secretary of Defence Christine Wormuth said the United States would continue to work with Pakistan to address existing and emerging threats in the region.