Army gunship helicopters on Thursday attacked positions of militants in the restive Swat district, killing eight militants, including Maulana Fazlullah’s deputy, Maulana Shah Dawran, besides detaining more than two dozen suspects.
Also, the security forces entered Mam Dherai, the militants’ headquarters near Mingora, and blew up the houses of Maulana Fazlullah and his spokesman Sirajuddin while two blasts rocked the area near the Chakdarra bridge located at the confluence of the Malakand Agency and the Lower Dir district on Wednesday night but did not cause any casualties.
Official sources told media that Maulana Shah Dawran was killed along with four other senior militants near Khwazakhela on Wednesday evening.
Requesting anonymity, a senior military official said the security forces raided a house where Shah Dawran and his comrades were hiding.
He said Shah Dawran and his men made an attempt to escape when they heard about the security personnel in the town. “They were caught in fire by the soldiers before their escape and were killed on the spot,” said the official.
Military authorities in Swat felt Shah Dawran’s death was the second biggest success for the troops battling the militants in the troubled region after the killing of senior militant commander Khan Khitab two weeks ago.
Also, senior security officials said over two dozen militants had been apprehended during the past two days on various check-posts. Four of the detainees held on security check-post near Chakdarra in the Dir Lower district were said to be close aides of Maulana Fazlullah. “Right now we don’t want to disclose their names as all of them had close links with Fazlullah and his terrorist network,” said a senior security official.
Meanwhile, the security forces for the first time entered Mam Dherai, the hometown of Maulana Fazlullah, and the centre of his militant activities which the Maulana had renamed as Iman Dherai, and got hold of an under-construction Madrassa on the bank of Swat river.
The troops were allowed to enter the village and the Madrassa after clearance given by the bomb disposal squad. Later, the troops blew up houses of Maulana Fazlullah and militantsí spokesman, Sirajuddin. They have already vacated their houses and shifted their families to unknown places.
There were also reports that the soldiers then started house-to-house search operation to flush out the militants but did not find any suspects. On the other hand, gunship choppers continued attacking suspected hideouts of militants at Namal in Matta, Weenai Pul in Chuprial but there were no details about casualties.
A senior military official told media they had received credible reports that Maulana Fazlullah and his fighters were hiding in Peochar which they said was a vast mountainous area bordering the two Dir districts.
Sources said the security forces were now in control of Matta and Khwazakhela, which were earlier considered as militant strongholds and set up a check-post near Chaliyar. Fresh contingents of Pakistan Army were transported to the upper Swat on Thursday. To ensure the soldiers’ security, the authorities had clamped curfew for 22 hours in Swat and up to Chakdarra in the Dir Lower district.
However, the authorities later announced relaxation in curfew duration from 4 pm to 8 pm in the night. There will be relaxation in curfew from 6 am to 7 pm in Swat today (Friday). Curfew has once again been imposed from Pul Chowki in Chakdara of the Dir Lower district to Landaki in Swat for an indefinite period.
On Wednesday night, two blasts had rocked the area near the Chakdarra bridge located at the confluence of the Malakand Agency and the Lower Dir district but did not cause any casualty. Sources in Chakdarra said the blasts were followed by intensive firing for about half- an-hour. It wasn’t clear if the troops and those from the paramilitary Frontier Corps were simply firing in retaliation after the explosions or their posts on and near the bridge had come under attack.
Regular soldiers of the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from the FC’s Chitral Scouts are deployed at the bridge on the river Swat. According to sources, the first blast took place at 10:10 pm. It was followed by the second blast at 10:26 pm. Soon afterwards, the rattle of gunfire was heard far and wide and it continued for half an hour.
Chakdarra is a part of the Lower Dir district but it is located close to the main road leading to the troubled Swat district, where Pakistan Army and paramilitary forces were conducting military operations to hunt down militants loyal to rebel cleric Maulana Fazlullah.
The militants had seized most parts of Swat and Shangla districts earlier but have now retreated to the mountains in the face of a big push by the security forces. ISPR press release from Rawalpindi says, “In the ongoing operation of security forces in Swat, the security forces have strengthened their positions and dislodged many militants’ hideouts. The locals garlanded the security forces in Matta and presented flowers and sweets as a token of their love and respect for the Pak Army.
“Troops are now in full control of Barium Bridge and Matta. While proceeding towards Matta, security forces cleared the Matta police station and handed it over to the local police. The police stations of Khwaza Khaila and Madain have already been sanitised by the security forces.
“Many terrorists’ bunkers are destroyed and state-of-the-art equipment, including mobile jammers and devices for the identification of callers’ locations are recovered. Handcuffs, modern PCs, laptops and cellular phones are also taken in custody.
“The locals appreciated the Army efforts and welcomed their initiative in clearing their area from extremist elements. Almost, majority of the population showed lack of confidence and mistrust in miscreants and requested the Pak Army to help them in this hour of conflict. The residents of Swat are determined to eliminate these terrorists in order to restore a long lasting peace and harmony in the valley.”
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