파키스탄, 스와트 탈레반 대변인 검거

 

                                                                                          스와트 지역 탈레반 대변인 무슬림 칸 

파키스탄 정부군이 북서변경주(州) 스와트 지역 탈레반 대변인을 검거했다고 현지 언론이 11일 보도했다. 파키스탄 군정보기관인 ISPR은 이날 성명을 통해 스와트지역 탈레반 대변인인 무슬림 칸과 또 다른 사령관인 메무드 칸이 검거됐다고 밝혔다.

   무슬림 칸은 지난 몇년간 스와트 일대를 장악하고 율법통치를 확산해온 이 지역 탈레반의 대변인으로 지난 4월 정부군의 공세가 본격화한 이후 자취를 감췄었다.
석달간의 공세를 통해 스와트 일대에서 탈레반을 몰아낸 정부군은 1천만루피(약 1억5천만원)의 현상금을 걸고 칸을 추격해왔다.  칸이 검거됨에 따라 정부군의 공세 이후 행방이 묘연했던 스와트 탈레반 최고지도자 파즐울라의 생사 여부도 확인할 수 있을 것으로 예상된다.

 

Top Taliban arrested in Pakistan

 

                                                                               Muslim Khan is from the troubled Swat valley

 

One of the highest ranking Taliban officials in Pakistan has been arrested with four other militants in the country's north-west, officials say.

Muslim Khan was a key spokesman for the Taliban in the Swat valley as well as being one of the most senior militant commanders there.

The army recently staged an offensive there, which it declared a success.

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says this is a significant milestone for the army's operation in Swat.

One of the chief criticisms of the military operation there has been that it failed to net the top Taliban leadership in the region, our correspondent says.

The whereabouts and fate of the Taliban leader in Swat, Maulana Fazlullah, is currently unknown.

After reports that he was close to death earlier this year after being seriously wounded, Muslim Khan contacted the BBC to say the Taliban chief was "alive and healthy".

The military said Mr Khan was apprehended after a "successful operation".

He was detained along with fellow militant Mahmood Khan, also reported to be one of the most senior Taliban commanders in Swat.

The militants had rewards of 10 million rupees ($121,000) on their heads.

Swat 'corpses'

The latest fighting in the Swat valley began in April when Pakistani Taliban forces expanded their operations into districts only 96km (60 miles) from the capital.

Under the terms of a peace deal, militants were expected to disarm in exchange for the implementation of Sharia law throughout the Malakand division, which includes Swat valley.

The army accused the Taliban of reneging on the deal. As the fighting intensified some two million people were displaced.

Although many have returned to the district, there is still unrest and bloodshed in the trouble district.

In recent weeks, more than 200 corpses have been found across valley.

The killings have been carried out execution-style and the bodies are believed to be of suspected Taliban militants.

Security forces have strenuously denied carrying out extra-judicial killings as part of their anti-Taliban offensive.

The Taliban in Pakistan recently confirmed the death of its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who was reported to have been killed by a US missile strike earlier this month.

Militant commander Hakimullah Mehsud was named as his successor.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8249869.stm