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| India-Pakistan |
| 27 suspects held in Swat |
| 2008-01-02 |
| A curfew has been imposed in Swat and Chakdara for an indefinite period, as security forces said they detained 27 suspects, four of them Maulana FazlullahÂ’s close aides, during an operation on Tuesday. Local Taliban commanders Naeem and Toti Khan were arrested in the raid in the Koza Bama Khela area, the Media Information Centre said. A huge quantity of arms, ammunition and communication equipment were recovered from Taliban hideouts during the operation, it added. On Monday night, security forces detained eight suspected militants at the Fiza Ghat and Kanjoo checkposts. Militant commander Mateen Khan from Shakar Dara and a would-be suicide bomber were among the arrested. A curfew for an indefinite period was imposed in Swat and Chakdara at 7pm on Tuesday. Sources said security forces were preparing to launch a major operation in Matta, Madian, Behrain, Piochar and Khawazkhela areas of Swat. The Swat operation was planned in two phases, sources said. The first part has been completed, with militants rooted out from the Kabal, Bara Bandai, Kooza Bandai, Charbagh and Manglor areas. The second phase is due in the next few days. However, the head of the Media Information Centre in Mingora, Colonel Nadeem, said the preparations were part of their routine activities. Meanwhile, a bomb disposal squad defused a 40-kilogramme locally-made remote-controlled bomb planted on Kalam-Mingora Road, near Charbagh in Swat district, APP reported. Had the bomb exploded, police said it would have wreaked havoc as traffic on the road is heavy and the adjoining vicinity is fairly populated. |
| Posted by:Fred |