Two security personnel embraced martyrdom and two others sustained injuries during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Jabba area of Matta tehsil in Swat district on Thursday. The operation, launched on credible intelligence reports regarding the presence of militants, continued for several hours and also resulted in casualties among the terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to sources, the exchange of fire broke out when security forces cordoned off the suspected hideouts of the militants, who had been attempting to re-establish their presence in the mountainous terrain of upper Swat. The security personnel fought bravely, but two of them lost their lives while two others sustained injuries. The injured soldiers were shifted to a medical facility, while the area was cleared to ensure that no further threat remained.
Officials said details regarding the number of terrorists killed or captured were being ascertained, as the operation was still ongoing in parts of the locality. Additional reinforcements were also dispatched to the area to prevent any escape routes for the fleeing militants.
Swat, once considered a former stronghold of the TTP during the insurgency of the late 2000s, had witnessed a long and difficult military campaign that restored peace to the valley more than a decade ago. However, recent sporadic militant activities and ambushes in the region have raised concerns among residents and security observers about attempts by extremists to regain a foothold in the strategically sensitive district.
The sacrifices of the fallen soldiers, officials noted, underline the resolve of Pakistan’s security forces to prevent any resurgence of militancy in Swat and adjoining areas. “Our personnel continue to lay down their lives to ensure that peace, restored after years of struggle, is not reversed by the designs of terrorists,” a security source said.
