The army on Tuesday took positions on hilltops in Swat Valley, while people have started moving to Mingora and its adjacent areas fearing a military operation in the valley. The troops deployed in Swat to control law and order after the Lal Masjid operation have also started moving from the Kabal Golf Ground to the Aligram and Hazara hilltops. Military officials would not comment on the army movement to the hilltops. The government moved army contingents to Swat district on July 8 after unidentified men attacked a military convoy, killing four troops including a major and a lieutenant. However, a tribal jirga and the NWFP government managed to prevent an operation then. Sources told Daily Times that a military operation in Swat was on the cards as the government had moved thousands of additional troops to the area in the last 15 days. They added that the security forces established two new checkposts in the Ayub Break and Fiza Gutt areas. Meanwhile, a resident of Kanju Township, Jan Wali Khan, told Daily Times that the locals were heading towards safer areas as they feared a military operation was likely.