(KUNA) -- A day after President Pervez Musharraf said that his men will take action in the northern Sawat district the army went on the offensive carrying out mop-up operations against the militants. Two military gunship helicopters pounded militants positions in Matta area of the district for the first time since Musharraf imposed emergency in the country, police sources told KUNA. They said the strike left many people wounded, adding that there were reports that about 10 militants were killed.
Addressing foreign journalists here on Sunday, Musharraf said the Army in the troubled areas of Swat, prior to the imposition of emergency, was not allowed to act in aid of the paramilitary forces. "Now after the emergency, the army will take action to combat terrorism," he said. The army has assumed the lead role in Swat from today onward, said military spokesman Waheed Arshad while talking to media. He said the army will be conducting operations in coordination with local and provincial authorities. He declined to give any timeframe for the operation but said that it will continue till the "militants are brought to book."
Earlier, the Law-enforcement agencies, Police, FC and Frontier Core (FC), had been conducting operation against local radical Muslim cleric, Maulana Fazlullah, and his supporters since last three weeks. Fazlullah, known as "Mullah Radio" is covertly running Al-Qaeda linked banned group Tahreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) in Swat that has given rise to militancy and extremism in once-peaceful lush green valley. Few days after the operation was launched, militants kidnapped and executed eight security personnel in public.
The operation has killed over 200 militants and caused immense property damage, compelling the local population to flee to safe areas.