Islamabad: Amid growing criticism of a recent army raid on a madrassa in Bajaur tribal area that killed 80 people, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf yesterday(Nov 7, 2006) said terrorism has emerged as a threat to the country's national security which should combated and crushed at all costs.

"We will undertake action wherever we find such militant activity. Terrorism is a threat to our national security which will be combated and crushed at all costs" while keeping options open for a political settlement, Musharraf told a conference of Corps Commanders at Rawalpindi.

"The President commended the performance of the security forces who were engaged in this sacred task in the supreme national interest," an official release said.

He said extreme care is being exercised to ensure that there is no loss of innocent lives or collateral damage while combating terrorists.

"This was also ensured in case of the recent Bajaur incident where we had evidence that militants were being trained. There were also intelligence reports about active involvement of these militant leaders in terrorist activities," he said.

Without naming the Islamic parties which whipped up a campaign against the government, he said, "Given the complexity of the issues, various parties try to exploit it for petty vested interests and create gross misperceptions amongst the general public."