Mingora, Apr 28 : Tension in the Swat Valley is fast growing as the Taliban continues armed patrolling and threatened a group of lawyers and recalcitrant militants. It also captured a telephone exchange in Sataal and looted two NGO offices in Saidu Sharif while preparing for a showdown with security forces.

Meanwhile, US spy planes flew over Matta, Kabal, Charbagh and Khwazakhela as Maulana Fazlullah was chairing a meeting of his commanders at an undisclosed location in the valley to devise future strategy.

US drones, locals said, hovered over Matta, Khwazakhela, Kabal and Charbagh areas but did not carry out strikes. The locals fear a Waziristan-style attack by the drones.

Speaking on FM radio channel, the deputy chief of the militants, Shah Dauran, threatened lawyers with action for speaking against the Taliban.

He said lawyers Sher Zaman, Muamber, Ali Haidar, Zahoor Iqbal, Muhammad Ismail, Noor Muhammad, Hazrat Bilal and others "are making fun of the Shariat-e-Muhammadi and the Taliban" and his fighters would soon take action against them.

"Whoever will speak against the Taliban, we will take action against them," The News quoted him, as saying.

Dauran also warned those Taliban fighters who were flouting the Taliban chief's orders. His warning confirmed reports about fissures within the Taliban.

Taliban continus armed patrolling on roads in Khwazakhela, Charbagh and Peshawar, which triggered off apprehensions of another military operation in the valley, of which people have become weary. (ANI)