Given the growing militancy and the recent adventure by militants when they took control of the traffic system in Swat district, the government has moved additional army contingents to Swat to launch a possible military operation within a few days, sources told Daily Times on Thursday.On July 8, 2007, the government moved army contingents to Swat to launch a military operation against militants after they fired at a military convoy killing four troops including a major and a lieutenant. However, a peace jirga and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government made efforts to avoid any military operation.
This time, the sources said, a military operation in Swat is likely as
| The government has moved an additional 15,000 army troops to the Swat valley in the past 15 days. |
The sources said the military operation against the militants might begin in the next few days. Sources added that the security forces had set up two new check posts in the Ayub Break and Fiza Gutt areas, while other posts were also being set up before the operation. “It’s the first time we have seen such a large-scale army deployment in the valley,” Jumma Khan, a Mingora resident, told Daily Times by phone. He said the entire Swat valley and its adjoining Dir districts were in the grip of fear. Another resident, Muhammad Shabir, said this was the first time he had seen police armoured personnel carriers (APC) were patrolling the Mingora Bazaar in such large numbers. “The process of army deployment will be complete within two days and an operation against the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM) is expected soon after,” the sources added.