Two hundred paramilitary personnel have surrendered to pro-Taliban militants in the troubled Swat valley, in a major embarrassment to Pakistan government which has been pushed on the backfoot in its operation to root out extremists from the northwestern tribal areas.
The 200 men of the Frontier Corps surrendered to militants led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah Thursday night after their camp in the Matta area was surrounded by the extremists who are demanding imposition of strict islamic law
or Shariat and have strengthened their hold on the region by driving out most security forces.
The security personnel handed over their weapons to the militants and did not put up any resistance, Dawn News channel reported.
There was no official word on the surrender, but a militant spokesman said the personnel were being taken to Imamdheri, the stronghold of Fazlullah, known as "Mullah Radio" for his sermons broadcast from an illegal FM station.
There are almost no security forces in upper Swat, where most security posts and police stations are now held by the militants.
The rebels control six tehsils or sub-districts or almost 80 percent of the scenic Swat valley, till recently a popular tourist destination. Police and paramilitary forces
have "surrendered" to the militants in key towns like Matta, Khwazakhela and Madyan.
The militants have replaced Pakistani flags over police stations and other government buildings with their own flags bearing inscriptions from the Quran.
The militants are patrolling the region in vehicles seized from the police. Fazlullah has ordered the setting up of Shariat or Islamic courts and ordered all girls attending school to wear burqas.
The militants also took over Kalam town but left after talks with a local 'jirga' or tribal council, which said people feared that the presence of the rebels in the area would provoke attacks by the security forces.
The government last month sent thousands of security personnel to Swat to quell the activities of Fazlullah and his Shaheen Commando Force, sparking fierce fighting that has left near 200 people dead. The militants have also captured and
released some 200 security forces since last week.