First Battle of Swat

Battle of Swat
Part of the War in Waziristan
Date October 25 - December 8 2007 Location Swat & Shangla, Pakistan Result Stalemate
Belligerents
Pakistani Army	TNSM Taliban
Commanders and leaders
Maj-Gen Nasser Janjua	Maulana Fazlullah
Strength
3,000	1,000
Casualties and losses
55 soldiers killed, 3 policemen killed, 48 soldiers captured, 170+ local paramilitary and policemen deserted	350 killed 143 arrested
30 civilians killed

The Battle of Swat began on October 25 2007 and involved the Pakistani Army and Islamic militants in a fight for control of the Swat district of Pakistan. Between October 25 and November 7, 2007 the militants quickly seized control of the region. On November 15, a Pakistani offensive commenced.

The Battle

First phase - Taliban occupy Swat

On October 24, more than 3,000 Pakistani troops were sent to Swat to confront Taliban forces that were massing in the district in a bid to impose Sharia law in the valley. The Pakistani troops deployed to the hill-tops of the rugged terrain. On October 25, heavy fighting started with a suicide bomber attacking a paramilitary truck and killing 17 soldiers and 13 civilians. Fighting erupted in the hills with Taliban forces attacking military posts and the military attacking Taliban mountain hideouts. By October 31 the military reported that up to 130 militant fighters were killed, however the next day about 700 militants overran a military position on a hill in Khwazakhela. Around 50 soldiers deserted their positions and another 48 were captured and paraded the next day. All of the soldiers were later freed. Also, police forces in Matta were completely surrounded by the end of the day. On November 3, 120 police forces and paramilitary troops in Matta surrendered and then deserted after they were disarmed. The Taliban also overran the nearby town of Khwazakhela, thus taking two police stations and took a large arsenal of weapons that was in them. There was no major fighting until November 7, when the Taliban continued their advance and took the town of Madyan. The police there also gave up their weapons, vehicles and control of local police stations. The insurgents occupied the floodplain side of the broad Swat river, which sweeps up towards the Hindu Kush mountains, while the remaining Pakistani troops held the road that follows the steep, forested hills. This left the Taliban in control of most of the Swat district and by then they had already set up their own local 'governors' in Tehsil Kabal, Matta and Khawazkhela.

Second phase - Battle for Shangla, Pakistani offensives

On November 12, 2,500 regular Army soldiers were sent to Swat to bolster the already 3,000 para-military and police that were already fighting to keep what ground of the district they still held. The Pakistani Army mounted a number of operations to counter the militants and their expanse. However, on November 15, militants advanced from Swat, which was now under their control, into the next district to the east, Shangla. That day Alpuri, which is the district headquarters of Shangla, fell to the Taliban insurgents. As the militant force was coming towards the town the police force deserted without a fight. The military quickly turned the focus of their operations now not to take back Swat but to keep Shangla. By November 17, an estimated 100 militants were killed in the fighting. On November 25, Taliban forces decided to leave Alpuri because of the huge Pakistani forces moving towards the area. The Taliban evacuated Alpuri and took up positions on the mountaintops around the town. Meanwhile in Swat on November 26, Pakistani artillery resulted in the death of two top Taliban commanders. With artillery fire and ground forces, the Pakistani Army tried to recapture many strategic hilltops from the Taliban and indeed, they managed to capture some of the hilltops and drove the Taliban back to the Swat district. The fighting for the hilltops left 4 Pakistani soldiers and 45 Talibani forces, led by Mullah Fazlullah, dead. On November 27, Pakistani forces secured Shangla.

Third phase - Second battle for Swat

Pakistani forces had retaken the Shangla district, but pockets of Swat were still in the hands of the insurgents. By November 27, Pakistani ground forces were not able to reach Matta, Khwazakhela, Charbagh and other sensitive areas occupied by militants. The security forces concentrated on Imam Dehri, the native village of Maulana Fazlullah, and nearby Kuza Banda, Bara Banda and Nigwalai. Once fighting commenced, most insurgents retreated to nearby areas. The highest peak in the Kabal district was retaken and other recent gains were consolidated.

After suffering colossal losses, the militants in Swat vacated all seized police stations and other government buildings by November 28 and decided to go underground while the government closed down all FM radio channels in the district, including the one run by Maulana Fazlullah.

Also on November 28, the Pakistan Army had cleared Imam Dehri, the headquarters of Maulana Fazlullah's seminary, and police resumed their normal duty in Alpuri, the district headquarters of Shangla. Around 50 militants were killed in four days of fighting. The militants vacated Matta, Khwazakhela and Madyan police stations and fled to nearby forests. They also left the Charbagh police post in Khwazakhela, their stronghold about 27km from Mingora. Police and troops were yet to enter the areas, as pounding of suspected militant positions continued and specialists were called in to sweep the area for mines and booby traps.

On December 5, the Pakistan army entered and took full control of the town of Matta, followed by the capture of the towns of Khwazakhela and Imam Dehri on December 6. Imam Dehri was the previous home of Maulana Fazlullah and his radio station.

Aftermath

Despite the victory by the Pakistani army, Taliban militants slowly re-entered Swat over the coming months and started engaging security forces in battles that lasted throughout 2008. By early February 2009, the Taliban had managed to regain control of most of Swat and at least 80 perecent of the district was under their control.

February 2009 Ceasefire

The Pakistani government announced on February 16, 2009 that it would allow Taliban's version of Sharia law in the Malakand region. In return, Fazlullah's followers agreed to observe a ceasefire negotiated by Sufi Muhammad.

Reactions to Ceasefire

• NATO feared that the agreement would only serve to allow militants to regroup and to create a safe haven for cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.
• Amnesty International expressed concern that the agreement would legitimize human rights abuses in the region.