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Pakistan and Taliban Clashes Cause 500,000 To Flee

by Rob Walker | May 6, 2009 at 05:58 am

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A large-scale military push by Pakistani gunships and mortar teams has been putting serious pressure on Taliban strongholds, causing almost 500,000 people to flee the area. At least 50 militants have been killed in the northwestern valley since Tuesday and four Pakistani army personnel died in separate attacks.

The push came as troops halted a Taliban push towards the capital and among continuing pressure from Washington to deal with the militant threat.

Militants killed two soldiers with a roadside bomb and two more in an assault on an electricity grid station near Swat's main town, Mingora, a military statement said.
"Armed militants have come down from their hideouts into the cities and have occupied civil houses and government buildings" as well as planting bombs to target both troops and civilians, it said.