The Islamic Emirate of Waziristan was a self-styled Islamic state in Waziristan, Pakistan which was founded on 5 September 2006 during the War in North-West Pakistan. The Pakistani government signed the Waziristan Accord with leaders of the emirate to end the first phase of the war, and the Islamic militants in the area became closely affiliated with the Taliban, granting refuge to Taliban fighters and al-Qaeda leaders and allowing them to use Waziristan as a staging ground for militant operations during the Afghanistan War. The Pakistan Army and the American CIA conducted operations against the Islamist militants in the region during the 2000s and 2010s, and Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014-2017 pacified the region and destroyed the Islamists' control of Waziristan.