The Operation Zarb-e-Azb was a major Pakistani military offensive launched against the Islamist militant groups of the Afghanistan border region from June 2014 to February 2017. After peace talks between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan insurgent group broke down and the TTP and its Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan allies attacked the Jinnah International Airport on 8 June 2014, the Pakistan Army launched a major offensive into North-West Pakistan. Up to 30,000 Pakistani troops took part in a comprehensive operation to flush out the foreign and local militants of the TTP, IMU, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, al-Qaeda, Jundallah, and the Haqqani Network. The Pakistani government's belated, yet effective campaign against the militant groups of north-west Pakistan led to the improvement of the security situation in Pakistan and the recapture of 98% of Waziristan by November 2016. The main operation ended on 3 April 2016, but clearance operations continued until 22 February 2017, when Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched to combat a resurgence in terrorist incidents.