Pakistan military kill 64 Taliban militias in big offensive

Pakistani forces say they have killed 64 'militants' in fighting in northwest Pakistan's Buner and Swat districts. The army says 37 militants were killed in Swat, where a peace deal to end Taliban violence has collapsed. Two soldiers have also died.

Pakistani officials claim Taliban militants placed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on some of the main roads to inflict casualties on people and to impede the security forces’ movement. At least two soldiers died when they hit an IED in Swat’s Bahrain area. The militants also fired at various check posts of security forces in Kanju, Saidu Sharif, Matta and other areas of Swat, the military said. At least 27 militants were also killed in the nearby Buner district, the Frontier Corps said in a statement. Clashes in Swat erupted between security forces and militants on Wednesday at a crucial emerald mine in Mingora held by the Taliban, leaving 37 militants and 35 civilians dead, official sources told DawnNews. Militants also set two private banks on fire after looting them, the sources said. 'There were 35 militants killed in the area near the emerald mines,' Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Athar Abbas told AFP. 'It was a responsive action after militants attacked troops and government buildings,' he added. A major military offensive is likely to begin in Swat shortly with the army ready to push back militants. Gunship helicopters were already pounding militant hideouts in the district's Mingora city, DawnNews reported. Reinforcements have already been deployed in the valley, according to local citizens, prompting speculation that action is imminent. Armed militants have come down from their hideouts into the cities and have occupied civilians’ houses and government buildings, military and local sources said. On Tuesday, thousands of residents fled Swat following a government request to evacuate the area in preparation for a fresh offensive against Taliban militants. 'More than 40,000 have migrated from Mingora since Tuesday afternoon,’ said Khushhal Khan, the chief administration officer in Swat. The February peace deal lies in tatters, and militants have captured several important government buildings in Mingora, 80 miles northwest of Islamabad, and have taken up positions on rooftops, Reuters said. DawnNews quoted residents as saying that the Taliban are stopping people from leaving the valley and intend to use them as human shields. Reuters reported some residents of Mingora saying they faced dwindling supplies of food and were desperate to get out. ‘We are very scared. We want to go as soon as possible but can’t because of curfew,’ said grocery shop worker Gul Nazir. ‘We’re running out of food. We don’t know what to do.’ Operation in Buner kills another 27 militants Pakistani artillery bombarded militant positions in Pir Baba and Sultanwas areas of Buner district, 60 miles northwest of Islamabad, on Wednesday, killing 27 militants and destroying eight vehicles, military sources and Frontier Corps were quoted as saying. ‘Today artillery engaged militant locations at Pir Baba Ziarat and Sultanwas areas. About 27 militants got killed and eight vehicles got destroyed,’ the Frontier Corps said in a statement. Militants fired rockets at a girls' school in Sultanwas which partially damaged the school building, the ISPR said. On April 28, Pakistan launched an offensive in Buner to flush out advancing armed Taliban fighters. More than 200 militants have been killed in the operation, official sources said. However, it has not been possible to confirm death tolls independently, as the terrain is remote and largely cut off. The operation against militants in Lower Dir is progressing smoothly, the military was quoted by DawnNews as saying. Search and cordon operations continued Wednesday in various areas of Lower Dir. see