(AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - Pakistani troops on Friday surrounded and attacked the stronghold of a leading pro-Taliban militant, Mullah Fazlullah, in the district of Swat in northern Pakistan. While it was unclear whether Fazlullah was there, before going into hiding, he told Adnkronos International (AKI) that he would fight until the end. "We shall fight till our last man and last bullet but there is always a chance for reconciliation," Fazlullah told AKI. "We don’t want war,” he said. "I didn’t breach the agreement. It is the government who breached the agreement,” he said referring to a deal he made with the Pakistani government earlier this year not to run illegal radio stations and block national highways and in exchange, the government said that it would not deploy troops in the area. Mullah Fazlullah reportedly used radio broadcasts to call for jihad, or holy war, against the Pakistani authorities.
The army had deployed 2,500 more troops in the area on Wednesday to combat rising militancy. On Thursday a bomb attack in the main town of Swat left at least 17 soldiers and three civilians dead. When contacted by AKI, Fazlullah refused to comment on the attacks or assume responsibility for the bombing.
| "Wudn't me." |
Sources within FazlullahÂ’s circle said that his next hideout could only be Waziristan because his men could not survive for much longer in the face of heavy military deployment. The Swat valley is reported to be an easier terrain to control as compared to the tribal regions of North and South Waziristan. However the route from Mullah Omar Square to Imam Dhari in the valley, passes through a very narrow alley where only a single vehicle can move in one direction.
FazlullahÂ’s stronghold itself is surrounded by civilian homes which are reportedly caught in the cross-fire. The militants have taken control of strategic trade routes such as the old silk route which stretches from China through the Middle East, and have created bunkers in the mountains.