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Swat Taliban chief 'near death'
 The leader of Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat district has been critically wounded and is close to death, the BBC has learned.But not actually dead. The information about Maulana Fazlullah confirms statements from senior government and security officials. The information about Maulana Falzullah was gathered from interviews carried out by the BBC in his heartland in the north-west of Pakistan. "Maulana Fazlullah was actually hit in two air strikes, and is critically wounded," Mingora resident Wasif Ali - who did not disclose his real name for personal security reasons - told the BBC on Wednesday during a trip to Swat. "He is now stranded in Imam Dehri without any access to medical assistance and is close to death."
"Oh,yeah. It wuz terrible. You shoulda seen it." Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan's top military spokesman, Maj General Athar Abbas said that Maulana Fazlullah had been hurt in an airstrike. "But we cannot confirm his exact condition at the moment," he said. Maulana Fazlullah used to be a prayer leader at the mosque in his village. He became the most powerful man in Swat after using a radio station to broadcast his messages in the area. Unlike other transmitters, that one simply could not be located, not to within 100 miles... Eventually he called for his version of Islamic law in the region. At the height of his power, his militants became the main law enforcers in Swat. In April, Pakistan's army launched an operation against his forces following the violation of a peace deal with the government. Currently, Swat's urban centres are being strictly patrolled by the military. Posted by: Steve White 2009-07-10 |
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