November 18, 2007	Sunday	Ziqa’ad 07, 1428

MINGORA, Nov 17: More troops arrived in Swat amid a 12-hour curfew on Saturday as security forces were reportedly planning a massive operation in the troubled Swat and Shangla districts.

A huge convoy of soldiers with armoured cars and heavy weaponry arrived here before 2pm, the time fixed for lifting the curfew.

Official sources said the security forces would soon start advancing on the strongholds of militants, including Matta, Khwazakhela and Charbagh.

There are reports of shortage of food and other daily-use items due to closure of roads. Prices of essential commodities have increased manifold.

On Saturday, helicopter gunships and artillery continued targeting areas of Koza Banda and Bara Banda, the areas known for extending support to Maulana Fazlullah. Helicopters were also seen hovering over other areas in Swat and Shangla districts.

Some injured people, including a woman and a girl, were taken to a Bisham hospital.

According to reports from Shangla, militants still held control of Alpuri, the district headquarters, but had vacated some areas in the Puran tehsil on a request of a local elders’ jirga on Friday night.

Local people said militants had occupied a vacant police station and other government installations in Puran Friday night. The militants vacated the buildings on a request of a local elders’ jirga after getting an assurance from them that troops would not be allowed to stay in the town.

Senator Rahat Hussain, deputy general secretary of the JUI, told Dawn that according to reports, more than 40 civilians had been killed and over 160 injured so far.

A meeting of elders, including representatives from different parties and District Nazim Rauf Khan, held on Saturday decided not to provide shelter to militants in Buner, adjacent to Swat and Shangla.

The elders resolved that they wanted enforcement of Sharia but would not support achieving the objective through violence.

AFP adds from Rawalpindi: The army would launch a major operation “any time from now” to clear militants from Swat, an army general said on Saturday.

Major-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director-general of military operations, said he hoped the mountainous Swat area would be reopened for tourism by the end of December.