Islamabad, August 16: The bullet-riddled and mutilated bodies of at least 18 suspected Taliban fighters were found in the militancy-hit Swat valley in Pakistan’s northwest today, witnesses said.
The bodies were found in different parts of the valley, including Mingora, the main city in Swat.
Witnesses said bodies were also found in Kanju, Kabal, Barikot and Islampur, all former strongholds of the Taliban.
They said the bodies bore signs of torture and their faces were badly mutilated, making it difficult to identify the men.
This is the first time that so many bodies of Taliban fighters were found on a single day. It was also the second time in a week that people found bodies of slain militants. On August 9, people spotted five bodies in various parts of Swat.
Local residents said that bodies of about 60 Taliban fighters had been found across Swat over the past two months.
It was not immediately clear who had killed the Taliban fighters but the trend first became apparent after troops took control of most of Swat valley following a three-month-long operation against the militants, local residents said.
When the Taliban controlled Swat, they often killed their opponents and hung up their bodies in the main square of Mingora and other towns. Some local residents believe the relatives of people murdered by the Taliban are now taking revenge by killing the militants.
—PTI