Unidentified armed men abducted 15 schoolchildren in Matta tehsil of Swat on Tuesday, security officials said. Three of the fifteen abducted students of a high school in Nazar Abad area of Matta later managed to escape, the officials added. The children were on their way home after school hours when they were kidnapped.
Major Gen Nasir Janjua, in charge of the Swat military operation, told reporters in Mingora that the Taliban had suffered heavy casualties and the valley would soon be cleared of the Taliban. He said troops had completed operation in Sar Senai area of Kabal tehsil and residents, who had moved to safer places during the operation, could return. Janjua told APP that the armed forces had not struck any agreement with the Taliban and asked the people not to provide them protection.
He said that a total of 60 army personnel were killed in the Swat operation, and urged the people, especially the youth of the area, to stand up against the Taliban.
The official said the army shared the pain of the families whose relatives had died during the operation. He said the army had taken precautions during the operation to minimise collateral damage. However, civilian loss of life occurred in some cases because the Taliban used locals as shields, he added.
He said the Taliban were exploiting religion to achieve their agenda. Janjua said the insurgency in Swat had adversely affected the people, who suffered heavily due to the collapse of the economy and large-scale unemployment and destruction.