Pakistani jets pounded Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, while the Army in fresh operations killed 26 militants in the restive northwest regions. Army sources told local TV that fighter jets bombed Taliban defenses and military structures built by the militants. The attack came as Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters that the civilian government had given the go-ahead for the massive military campaign in South Waziristan leaving the timing of the operation to the armed forces. The Pakistan government and the Army say that 80 per cent of the wave of militant attacks hitting the country are planned in South Waziristan, which has been encircled by troops and armour for the last three months in preparation for military's biggest operation.<br/>