16 July 2009 / AP, İSLAMABAD
Pakistani troops killed six suspected Taliban fighters near the Swat Valley's main city, the army said on Wednesday, underscoring the region's fragile security even as refugees displaced by fighting return home.
Few details were immediately available on the incident in Kabal town, but the military was planning to take local journalists to the scene to show them the bodies. Kabal lies across the river from Mingora, the Swat Valley's main city, and it was considered a likely hide-out of the Swat Taliban's leadership. The Pakistani army says it has killed more than 1,700 militants since its latest offensive against the Taliban began in Swat more than two months ago, but in recent days it has reported fewer daily killings. It's impossible to confirm the tally independently because access to the area has been restricted, and the military has not provided figures on how many civilians have died. More than 2 million residents of Swat and surrounding districts have fled their homes due to the offensive, according to the United Nations. A government repatriation program began Monday, and thousands of refugees have been heading back.
