Militants Capture Two Towns in Pakistan's Swat Tribal Agency

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

I noted in an article published today at National Review Online about Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency that the move makes it more likely that Pakistan will lose territory to militants by over-extending the police and military. Pakistani security forces are now charged not just with defending the country against militants but also clamping down on peaceful demonstrators, journalists, human rights activists, and lawyers. It is not difficult for Islamic militants to exploit this period of weakness.

The most recent news from Pakistan highlights the validity of this concern. Militants have apparently been able to capture a town called Matta in the Swat tribal agency. The Associated Press reports:

Hundreds of Islamic militants seized a town in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday after outnumbered security forces laid down their arms, militants and police said. About two dozen police officers and several troops offered no resistance to militants who seized three police stations and a military post in and around Matta, a town in the Swat valley."We didn't harm the police and soldiers and allowed them to go to their homes as they didn't fight our mujahideen," said Sirajuddin, a spokesman for Maulana Fazlullah, a firebrand cleric whose armed followers are battling security forces. He said the militants had hoisted their black and white flags over the captured posts.

Since then, Sirajuddin has acknowledged that militant positions are under attack by government forces, stating, "This ruthless firing from helicopters is likely to kill civilians."

This comes on top of an offensive by Islamic militants over the weekend, during which 120 police and paramilitary soldiers were seized in Matta, and 48 men said to be paramilitary soldiers were seized in Khawazakhela. In fact, Pakistan's Daily Times quotes local residents as saying that Khawazakhela had fallen to the Taliban in addition to Matta -- and that Taliban militants are now "directing the traffic on the road."

There are many critical indicators to watch in Pakistan over the coming weeks. Militants' attempts to control a greater area in and around the tribal regions is one of them.

TrackBack