Civilians flee Pakistan conflict zone as curfew is lifted

Thousands of fearful civilians, many on foot, fled a war-torn Pakistani valley today to take advantage of a lifted curfew that could precede an even more intense round of fighting between the military and the Taliban.

Pakistan has urged residents of the Swat Valley to leave over the past week, while its warplanes have pounded the militant-held region in what the prime minister called a “war of the country’s survival”.

Hundreds of thousands have already fled, adding a humanitarian crisis to the nuclear-armed nation’s economic, political and other woes.

As soon as the curfew was lifted early today, residents in major Swat towns began to leave in any way they could.

“We are going out only with our clothes and a few things to eat on the long journey,” said Rehmat Alam, a 40-year-old medical technician walking out of Swat’s main city of Mingora along with 18 other relatives.

“We just got out relying on God because there is no one else to help us.”

Officials said the curfew would be back on by early afternoon. The brief lull in fighting allowing residents to get out could signal that the army plans to increase its aerial and other attacks later today.

Amid praise from Washington, Pakistan’s leaders launched the full-scale offensive on Thursday to halt the spread of Taliban control in districts within 60 miles of the capital, Islamabad.

The goal is to wrest Swat and neighbouring districts from militants who also dominate the adjoining tribal belt along the Afghan frontier, where US officials say al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden may be hiding.