Kabul welcomes military action

KABUL (AFP) - Afghanistans defence ministry on Thursday praised Pakistans military offensive against the
Taliban and pledged to cooperate on its side of the border.
Kabul has long urged Islamabad to get tougher against militants holed up in its semi-autonomous tribal areas,
where Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters have carved out bases for carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan supports operations launched by the army of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan against terrorists,
the ministry said in a statement.
The Afghan defence ministry is carefully inspecting these operations and will try to fully cooperate... with
Pakistani military authorities, to coordinate its action in the region, it said.
Afghan, Pakistani and foreign commanders based in Afghanistan sit on a commission that meets regularly to
discuss efforts against extremists.
The Afghan defence ministry said there was an urgent need for war against terrorism and that requires sincere
and honest regional military action and international support.
Pakistans operations bode well for efforts to fight terrorists and for the expansion of regional military
cooperation, it said.