Peshawar: Six boys as young as 12 to 16 years
of age, who were trained to become suicide bombers before they
fled Taliban captivity, were on Friday presented before the media
in the restive Swat district of northwest Pakistan.
Army officials directing operations against the Tehrik-e-
Taliban Pakistan in Swat presented the boys before journalists
in Matta sub-division, which till recently was a stronghold of
the militants.
The youths Amanullah, Shah Hussain, Zakirullah, Hazrat
Bilal, Zia-ur-Rehman and Rehmatullah Khan told newsmen that
they were kidnapped by the militants and brainwashed to carry
out suicide attacks before they escaped from captivity.
The army officials claimed that over 2,000 militants had
been killed and 800 apprehended during operations in Swat.
The campaign has now entered its last phase and wanted
militant leaders like Ibn Ameen and Umer Fateh would be
arrested soon, they said.
The army has broken the back of the militants in their
strongholds like Matta, the officials said.
PTI
