( RIA Novosti ) - Militants and government troops in northwestern Pakistan have agreed a ceasefire in the mountainous region of Swat, where over 50 extremists died over the weekend in clashes, Pakistan TV said Monday.
The Pakistan Army carried out military operations supported by helicopter gunships against religious extremist factions based in the Swat valley headed by radical cleric Maulana Fazullah, whose Islamist group has links with terrorist group al-Qaeda and runs an illegal radio station, dubbed Radio Mullah.
General Major Waheed Arshad told journalists: "This is a good thing that the militants have agreed to a ceasefire, and we welcome it."
Fazullah, who commands around 2,000 fighters, has called for Shariah law to be imposed in Pakistan and a Jihad against the West.
The Swat valley in northwest Pakistan, once a tourist region, has become one of the most unstable in the country with a surge in terrorist acts and attacks against government troops and supporters.
There are no details on casualties on the Pakistan side.