ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani military operation launched in the country’s northwest will clear the area of terrorists and keep it from being used as a safe haven by militant groups, officials said Tuesday.

Pakistani officials briefed foreign media about the operation started two weeks ago against militants in the North Waziristan tribal area, which is considered the stronghold of groups such as the Pakistani Taliban, the Haqqani network and the Afghan Taliban. The long-awaited operation is being closely watched to see how aggressively Pakistan moves against the militants and whether the operation sparks a backlash of violence in the rest of the country.