This Saturday, the Pakistani army was able to enter Mingora, the main town of the Swat valley in the northwest. Confrontations with the Taliban militants continue. According to a spokesman for the army, Major General Athar Abbas, the insurgents were driven from several quarters, and 17 rebels, including an important commander, were killed over the last 24 hours of combat.
The intensified military operation against the radical Islamist group has been ongoing for nearly a month. The attack against Mingora, a town whose population is estimated at about 300,000 people before the people fled the fighting, is a crucial step for the army and the Pakistani government. Last Friday, the army estimated that only 10% of the population was still in the city.
Taking Mingora, which was controlled by the Taliban for several weeks, is essential for the Pakistani army as it would mean winning back the region of Swat. The army has killed more than 1,100 Taliban soldiers in almost four weeks of offensive, while admitting that it has lost 58 soldiers in the war.
On the other hand, there have also been numerous testimonies by displaced persons about the state of indiscriminate bombings by the army which have cost many civilian casualties. Human Rights Watch said earlier this week that “people in Mingora said that the Taliban have undermined the city and prevented many civilians from escaping to use them as human shields.”
The offensive comes as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the country. Last Friday, the UN requested assistance for half-billion dollars to deal with the situation. According to the UN, 1.7 million refugees were added to the 550,000 displaced by earlier violence in the northwest. The people will need help for several months because, even if the Pakistani army topples the Taliban, farmers cannot return home and go back to their livelihood which is farming, NGO leaders observe.
Via BBC
