Hundreds of Islamic militants seized a town in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday after outnumbered security forces laid down their arms, militants and police said.
About two dozen police officers and several troops offered no resistance to militants who seized three police stations and a military post in and around Matta, a town in the Swat valley.
Swat has been a focus of a wave of militant violence in Pakistan that began in July and has left more than 1,000 people dead, many of them in suicide attacks and army offensives.
Once a popular tourist destination because of its mountain scenery, Swat is also an example of how Islamic militants are trying to extend their control of areas near the Afghan border.
