 Since 2007, militants from Tehrek-e-Taliban Pakistan have used beheadings as a form of punishment for opponents, criminals and spies in the north west region of Pakistan.Severed heads of opponents or government officials in Swat were left on popular street corners in order to terrorize local population.The beheadings have stopped in Swat since the military incursion and sweep-up that began in May 2009 and ended in June 2009.