ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that security forces  have killed over 3,500 militants in Swat and FATA together.

In an interview with Financial Times, he said a good number have been injured. “The setback which the militants have received, it will take a lot of time for them to recoup.

He said militants were quite confident that the government will not be able to launch such a major operation. “In Swat we found up to 70-yard long tunnels, full of arms and ammunition. Then, there were huge ammunition depots.  Then, there were training centres, mines and even rocket launchers were brought in and were taken into position. Their tactics were to attack from the cliff tops.”

The minister, however, said this was well understood by our law enforcers. This time our operation was done from all four sides in  Swat region], from the south, the north, the west and the east. We made sure the militants were encircled. The good thing is that this was the first operation where we had the unanimous backing of the nation. The government remained on a high moral ground.

He said Pakistan army has done a very good job, the law enforcement was wonderful, and for the first time, there is a very clear message to militants that the government means business.

Replying to a question  about the strength of Baitullah Mehsud , the minister said Baitullah is hiding now. “In my assessment he has become ineffective. Moreover, there is a wedge between him and his own factions. The ‘jirga’ [tribal council] of the Mehsud tribe has warned him that he should surrender”.

He said that Pakistan and Afghansitn was facing a common enemy who are the terrorists, the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistan Taliban. “We have a common enemy but we don’t have a common strategy. Unless the two governments sit together, make a road map of how to deal with these terrorists, this will not work.  I think to save Pakistan is to save Afghanistan and to save Afghanistan means to save Pakistan”.