Pakistan retakes key road in anti-Taliban offensive

PAKISTAN: Pakistani security forces Saturday seized control of key road in northwestern Buner district as troops and helicopter gunships shelled militant hideouts, the military said.

The military launched a major ground and air assault in Buner five days ago under US pressure after Taliban militants from restive Swat valley infiltrated adjoining areas and advanced to within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of the capital Islamabad.

The military offensive has displaced thousands of people, officials said. “Security forces conducted a successful operation on Ambela-Dagar axis and were able to establish link with troops in Dagar town,” a military statement said.

“They are now removing improvised explosive devices” and the road will be soon open for public, it said. Dagar is Buner’s main town which the military said was secured on Wednesday.

“Security forces are conducting a mopping up operation and the area will be clear of militants very soon,” it said.

The fresh fighting came as the White House said US President Barack Obama would host a summit with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts on Wednesday amid growing US concern over the deteriorating situation in the region.

A senior military official earlier said helicopters and artillery continued to pound Taliban hideouts in the towns of Ambela, Pir Baba and Sultanwas which were considered militant strongholds.

“We have besieged a Taliban compound in Ambela where militants had been holding a meeting,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

“Our information is that militants are now fleeing Buner,” the official said.

Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas on Friday said some 400 “well-equipped and organised” Taliban had been putting up “stiff resistance” in Buner.

The operation in Buner followed a similar action launched a week ago in nearby Lower Dir district after militants in the Taliban-held Swat valley pushed further south towards Islamabad, which is central to Washington’s strategy for stopping the insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Pakistan ceded control of Swat valley in February, signing a deal to allow religious hardliners to enforce Islamic law in the region in order to end a bloody two-year rebellion led by a radical cleric.

But instead of disarming as required under the deal, the Taliban pushed further south towards Islamabad, prompting the army offensive.

Peshawar, Sunday, AFP