MINGORA, July 19: A meeting of 50 commanders of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Swat chapter, on Saturday discussed a ‘war strategy’ to confront the government and endorsed all decisions of the central leadership.

The two-day meeting, presided over by local Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah, was held at an undisclosed location on Friday and Saturday, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told Dawn by telephone.

He said the meeting discussed the five-day ultimatum given to the ANP-led provincial government to resign and devised a strategy in case security forces launched an operation in Swat after militants’ operations in different parts of the NWFP.

The spokesman rejected the provincial government’s claim of arrest of a would-be suicide bomber in Swat. He claimed that the detainee was a “mentally-retarded” youth and “he has nothing to do with Taliban movement.”

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