ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies on Friday reaffirmed the pledge to continue the military operation against militants till enforcement of writ of the government. Security forces backed by warplanes and artillery pounded suspected militant strongholds in Swat and other districts of Malakand Division, killing 143 militants, including a key commander.
There are about 4,000 militants in Swat, who are challenging writ of the government and using civilians in the area as human shield, said Major General Athar Abbas, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations here. He said the military operation is going on in Swat, Lower Dir, Buner and other parts of the Malakand Division, in which over 143 militants have been killed.
"Army was called to help civil administration in Swat and now the operation is in full swing," Abbas said while briefing media about the details of the operation. He informed the media that in Friday's action, army pushed militants out of Khwazakhela and Chamkani and now the militants have been wiped out of two towns. Five miscreants and one soldier were killed in the operation, he added.
Thirteen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces Thursday at Matta Police Station, he said, adding that in Kalpanai area of Buner, 6 militants were killed and two others arrested. Search operation in Lower Dir is under way where 10 militants, including Kifayatullah, son of Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad, were killed on Thursday, Abbas said.
ISPR chief declared that Army would remain in the operation-affected areas until the civil administration fully assumes its functions and writ of the government and peace is restored. He said that military gunship helicopters also destroyed militants' hideouts and training camps in various areas.
It is learnt that military aircraft bombed militants' hideouts situated in different parts of Kabal tehsil in restive Swat valley in which a top militant commander, Akbar Ali, and his 13 fighters were killed. Meanwhile, jet planes continued to hover over Mingora City and Matta tehsil since early Friday morning. An indefinite curfew is still enforced in the district.
As tension prevailed in restive areas, tens of thousands of local residents fled the fighting zone to some safer places. Power supply to the area remained suspended following the destruction of a local grid station by militants four days ago. Besides, several other areas are without gas and water supply.
On the other hand, security forces targeted militants' positions in Timargara, headquarter of tehsil Maidan, killing 10 militants. While extremists blew up one more school and a police station in tehsil Adeenzai. Meanwhile, according to a break-up regarding the atrocities of the militants, the ISPR stated that militants have ruined the peace agreement with their criminal attitude.
There were over 55 kidnapping incidents in which over 100 individuals were abducted, more than 30 security force personnel were killed and over 44 injured. Militants carried out four suicide attacks, installed eight improvised explosive devices, ambushed seven military convoys and conducted 30 fire raids in different areas, the break-up read. The ISPR statement also said that two schools were damaged by militants after peace agreement and three police stations were destroyed.
Militants have also destroyed a grid station and looted six banks. On the directive of Government of Pakistan, the Army is now engaged in a full-scale operation to eliminate all anti-state elements from Swat. They are on the run and trying to block the exodus of innocent civilians by preventing their departure through roadblocks with trees and even taking them hostages.
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