Swat curfews lifted as Pakistan continues Taliban attacks

Pakistan lifted curfews on seven towns in the Swat Valley today in a further sign of confidence that its offensive against the Taliban is making progress.

The order will allow thousands of people caught in the battle zone to leave their homes and search for food and other supplies that run out in the past month of fighting.

The loosening of restrictions posed new dangers for residents, however, with one saying he saw soldiers fire at civilians in Mingora town as they emerged, apparently because they suspected they were Taliban.

The military said that daytime curfews were lifted in Bahrain, Madyan, Fatehpur, Khwazakhela, Matta and Alpurai and in the nearby district of Shangla.

Pakistan launched the offensive against militants in Swat and surrounding districts after they violated the terms of a cease-fire and advanced into a region close to the capital, Islamabad.

The Swat action has earned Western praise as troops have regained large swaths of the region from an estimated 4,000 Taliban. But the fighting has forced up to three million people to leave the area, threatening a humanitarian crisis.

A string of suicide bombings away from Swat are probably retaliatory attacks by the Taliban, officials said. A blast at a busy bus terminal in Kohat town today killed at least one person and wounded at least eight others.

A day after the military declared it had retaken the town, Mingora yesterday was battle-scarred and strewn with bodies.

“We have been starving for many days. We have been cooking tree leaves to keep ourselves alive. Thank God it is over,” said resident Afzal Khan. “We need food. We need help. We want peace.”

Most of Mingora’s 375,000 residents fled the offensive.

International Committee of the Red Cross officials who visited other parts of the valley at the weekend were “alarmed” at what they found.

“There is no running water, no electricity, and food is scarce,” team leader Daniel O’Malley said. “There is no fuel left for generators and most medical facilities in the district are no longer functioning. Phone lines are down, so people have been cut off from the outside world.”

Elsewhere along the Afghan border area, dozens of militants died in weekend clashes with soldiers in the South Waziristan tribal region, fighting that could nudge the military to expand its offensive beyond Swat.

Insurgents attacked an army convoy and a checkpoint on Saturday night, sparking clashes that killed at least 25 militants and seven soldiers.

President Asif Ali Zardari today ordered the immediate release of £4m (€4.6m) to provide aid to refugees, and said he would appeal for more international help during a visit to EU headquarters.

“Relief and rehabilitation of the displaced persons is central to this fight,” he said.