By RIA Novosti
Islamabad : The Pakistani army raided the suspected hideout of an influential Islamist leader in the country’s Swat Valley on Wednesday morning, but has yet to release details on the outcome of the operation.
Pakistani television, citing military sources, reported that troops had used artillery in strikes on militant forces led by Maulana Fazlullah, a radical cleric in his late twenties.
Army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said he could not confirm whether Fazlullah was injured or killed in the raid: “I have no precise information on whether he is alive or dead.”
Fazlullah is well known in Pakistan for his attempts to establish Islamic Sharia law in the Swat Valley region, once a popular tourist destination. He runs an illegal FM radio station which he has used to call for the overthrow of the Pakistani authorities. The pro-Taliban cleric is also suspected of being involved in a string of suicide attacks in the country in recent months.
The army has been conducting operations in the area since last fall, when Fazlullah’s followers took control of the Swat Valley. So far, 290 militants have been killed and over 140 captured. Fazlullah is believed to command a force of around 4,000 armed men.