Pakistani jets bombed various areas in the northern part of the country in the initial wave of a new offensive focused on curbing the Taliban's grasp along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The attacked was focused on Taliban locations in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan. The Taliban has control of the region from which attacks are launched against NATO and Afghan troops across the border, according to American officials. They have been pushing Pakistan to begin a military offensive against Taliban forces, but Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif advocated peace talks between the two sides.

These proved to be a failure following the attack on the Karachi airport that left more than 30 people dead. The U.S. and Pakistan retaliated with drone strikes but Pakistan has decided to follow a more extensive military mission.

On Sunday Pakistani planes bombed Taliban hideouts in North Waziristan killing around 80 militants, according to military sources. However, local sources say that at least 100 were killed in the attack. The Taliban has been targeted another target were Uzbek fighters hiding in the country. They claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi's airport.

The Washington Post reports that military sources claim among the dead is Abu Abdul Rehman al-Maani, the alleged mastermind of the Karachi attack. Many Uzbek Islamic extremists have crossed the border into Pakistan and have been collaborating with the Pakistani Taliban.

However, Pakistan has begun an aggressive campaign against the Taliban forces in North Waziristan.

"Now we have to fight this do or die war," Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said in a telephone interview with Pakistan's Dunya Television. "We will fight it till the end."

According to the AP, Pakistan already has around 28,000-30,000 troops in North Waziristan, but the government has not given any details on what the military effort will be like.