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Taliban say Swat leader 'alive' Taliban say Swat leader 'alive'
(30 minutes later)
The head of the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat valley is "alive and healthy", a local Taliban spokesman has said, denying reports he was close to death. The Taliban has denied reports that their leader in Pakistan's Swat valley, Maulana Fazlullah, is close to death.
A Taliban spokesman told the BBC he had not been injured and played a recording purportedly by the cleric. It was not clear when the message was recorded.
Maulana Fazlullah was reported by the military to have been critically wounded during the army's recent offensive in the Swat valley.Maulana Fazlullah was reported by the military to have been critically wounded during the army's recent offensive in the Swat valley.
But a Taliban spokesman told the BBC this was not the case and played a recorded message by Maulana Fazlullah. Pakistan's army says it has now largely defeated militants based in the region.
It is not clear when the message was recorded. The latest fighting in the Swat valley began in April when Pakistani Taliban forces expanded their operations into districts only 96km (60 miles) from the capital.
See a map of the region
Under the terms of a peace deal, militants were expected to disarm in exchange for the implementation of Sharia law throughout the Malakand division, which includes Swat valley.
The army accused the Taliban of reneging on the deal.
As the fighting intensified some two million people were displaced. Many of these have now started returning home after the army said it had largely secured the region.
'Alive and healthy'
The message by Maulana Fazlullah played to the BBC is his first since reports that he was wounded some weeks ago.
Correspondents say that the cleric's voice sounded weak in the recording - but the Taliban spokesman was quick to deny any suggestion that he had been wounded.
"Taliban chief Fazlullah is alive, healthy and has never been wounded," Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan also told the AFP news agency.
In the recording Maulana Fazlullah announced an amnesty for five prominent political and business figures in the region. They had earlier been asked to appear before an Islamic court to respond to charges against them.
The army has as yet made no comment on the Taliban denial.
Last week interior minister Rehman Malik confirmed to the BBC that the Maulana Falzullah had been critically injured in an attack.
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