ORDER OF BATTLE // July 15, 2009
Second Battle of Swat
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 17,500–47,500 estimated
Pakistan
15,000–45,000
Medium-confidence figure
TTP
2,500
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
Operation Rah-e-Rast, the Second Battle of Swat, was a sub-operation of the broader Operation Black Thunderstorm launched in May 2009. It followed the collapse of a peace agreement the Pakistani government had signed with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in February 2009, making the operation a direct consequence of failed negotiations from the First Battle of Swat. The Pakistan Army committed a force of between 15,000 and 45,000 troops against an estimated 2,500 TTP fighters, inflicting 2,088 casualties on the militant force. The operation represented the Pakistani state's decision to pursue a military resolution in Swat district after the negotiated settlement proved untenable, and formed part of a larger counterinsurgency effort against TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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