Second Battle of Swat
| Second Battle of Swat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of War in North-West Pakistan | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 |
.svg){kind=small} | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Major General Sajjad Ghani | Maulana Fazlullah (POW) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 15,000 | 2,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 60 killed | 1,100 killed | ||||||
| 1.9 million civilians displaced | |||||||
The Second Battle of Swat began in May 2009 and involves the Pakistani Army and Islamic militants in a fight for control of the Swat district of Pakistan. The first Battle of Swat had ended with a widely criticised peace agreement that the government had signed with the Taliban in February 2009.[1] However by late April 2009 government troops began to clash with the Taliban and in May the government had launched military operations throughout the district and elsewhere to tackle the Taliban.[2] Fighting in the main city of Mingora between elite Pakistani commandos and about 300 Taliban militants positioned in deserted buildings also took place until a major Pakistani offensive retook much of Mingora.
On 23 May the Pakistan launched its campaign to take Mingora from the Taliban, until a week previously there was believed to be 200,000 people in the city. Following the lifting of the curfew by the 23 May there were estimated to be between 10,000-20,000 civilians trapped in the town.[3]
On 24 May the Pakistan army announced it had retaken large parts of Mingora, the largest town in Swat District, after weeks of fighting in surrounding areas. Pakistani soldiers moved into Mingora on May 23, and in heavy street fighting, captured large parts of the city, including several key intersections and squares.[4] Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah has reportedly been captured in the army siege and Major-General Athar Abbas, the chief military spokesman, announced that "we want to eliminate the entire leadership".[5] Pakistani soldiers continued to engage the Taliban in street fighting and search buildings for Taliban fighters. Pakistani troops have also retaken several nearby towns previously held by the Taliban. So far, Pakistan claims to have killed 1,100 Taliban militants while losing 60 soldiers.
On 30 May 2009, the Pakistan military announced that it regained control of all of Mingora, though "small pockets of resistance" still exist on the town's outskirts.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Pakistan troops clash with Taleban as Swat Valley truce breaks down
- ^ Pakistani troops gain upper hand in key Swat town
- ^ Pakistan army battles Taliban in Swat’s main city
- ^ http://www.france24.com/en/20090524-battle-swat-valley-continues-pakistan-taliban-mingora
- ^ Pakistani troops retake part of Mingora after battle with Taleban - The Times
- ^ "Pakistan military retakes town in Swat Valley". The Associated Press via Google News. 30 May 2009.
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