Singapore, Oct. 12 : Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that following the brazen terrorist attack on the Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, military offensive against the militants in South Waziristan, a Taliban stronghold, was `imminent'.

"It has been decided, the civilian leadership has decided, the operation is imminent," Malik told a foreign news agency in Singapore.

Malik said initial investigations suggest that the GHQ attack was planned by the Taliban, but added that Al-Qaeda's hand could not be ruled out.

"The man who has been arrested, his name is Usman. He's a TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) guy, but we have some indications he is also from al Qaeda," The Dawn quoted Malik, as saying.

In one of the most audacious terror strikes in Pakistan in the recent past a team of commando trained terrorists raided the Pakistan Arm's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Saturday and took several hostage inside one of GHQ buildings.

16 people were killed, including eight attackers in a commando operation which continued for over 20 hours. (ANI)