The commander said the return of displaced persons to their homes would be possible after removal of land mines and IEDs laid by terrorists.
He said so far 1,198 terrorists had been killed while 356 injured during the operation.
The commander said 2,708 square kilometer of area has so far been vacated while the remainder would be cleared as early as possible.
He said the army has made major recoveries of weapons, ammunition, explosives, improvised explosive devices and their manufacturing facilities during the operation.
Major General Zafar Ullah Khan said scope of the operation had to be enhanced as some terrorists relocated themselves to the peripheral and adjoining areas.
