Pakistan broadens anti-militant offensive

PAKISTAN: Pakistani forces pushed forward with the new government's first major offensive against Islamist militants Sunday, retaking control of a key town and demolishing an insurgent group's building.

The operation was launched a day earlier in the Khyber tribal agency to counter rebels threatening the northwestern city of Peshawar and attacking supply convoys for US and NATO troops in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Pakistan has come under growing pressure from the United States and other western allies who are concerned about its policy of negotiating with Taliban and other militants in the restive frontier region.

"The situation is under control. There has been no resistance," local administration official Mehmood Afridi told AFP about the operation. Officials said Saturday that one militant was killed.

Security forces had retaken control of Bara, the main town in the region, officials said. Paramilitary troops were patrolling the town in tanks and had set up sand-bag checkpoints, an AFP photographer saw.

Bara, Sunday, AFP