Taliban trap civilians in Pakistani battle zone

The Taliban blocked roads to stop terrified civilians from fleeing Pakistan’s Swat valley as the army stepped up its assault on the extremists today.

The country is braced for a mass exodus from the area, a former tourist destination where fighting has resumed after the breakdown of a controversial peace deal earlier this week.

The military claimed to have killed more than 80 militants in the region yesterday. There has been no official word on civilian casualties.

More than 500,000 Pakistanis driven out by fighting in other regions of the north-west are already living in makeshift camps or with relatives, adding a growing humanitarian crisis to the country’s daunting security, economic and political problems.

With Taliban roaming the streets of Mingora, Swat’s main town, today and troops launching artillery and airstrikes on militant targets from helicopter, many residents hid in their homes.

The army announced it was relaxing its blanket curfew in the area, but some of those who tried to make a swift exit said Taliban blocked their way.

The US has said it wants to see a sustained operation in Swat and surrounding districts, worried by earlier, inconclusive offensives elsewhere in the Afghan border region. The area remains a haven for al-Qaida and Taliban blamed for spiralling violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

But uprooting the insurgents from the valley will mean civilian casualties, property damage and massive disruption which could sap the resolve of the government.

The Swat Taliban are estimated to have up to 7,000 fighters – many with training and battle experience – equipped with rocket-propelled grenades, explosives and automatic weapons. They are up against 15,000 troops who until recent days had been confined to their barracks under a failed peace deal.