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Pakistan urging residents to flee Flight from Swat as curfew lifted
(about 2 hours later)
Pakistan's government has lifted a curfew in the Swat valley to allow residents to escape an intense battle between the army and Taleban militants. Thousands of people are fleeing Pakistan's violence-hit Swat district after the army lifted a curfew.
The curfew has trapped tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the violence. Local residents trapped by fighting between troops and Taleban militants were given seven hours to leave.
The army is trying to reverse militant advances in the area, in what the prime minister has called a "fight for the survival of the country".The army is trying to reverse militant advances in the area, in what the prime minister has called a "fight for the survival of the country".
The army said dozens of militants had been killed in fighting on Saturday. Analysts say the lifting of the curfew is a sign that the army offensive is likely to intensify in the coming days.
The government said the curfew would be lifted for seven hours on Sunday, beginning at 0600 local time. The curfew was lifted at 0600 local time (0100 GMT) to allow residents in Swat's main town of Mingora and the nearby towns of Kambar and Raheemabad out.
It asked civilians to take the chance to flee the area. name="story"> class="bodl" href="#map">See a map of the region Syed Shoaib HasanBBC News, Islamabad The army has spent the last two days locating and destroying militant camps in the rural regions.
Cars and buses have started arriving to pick up residents from Mingora, the biggest town in the region, and the nearby towns of Kambar and Raheemabad. A major ground offensive now appears to be on the horizon to secure the seat of government in Swat.
BBC regional analyst Anbarasan Ethirajan says the lifting of the curfew is a sign that the army offensive is likely to intensify over the coming days. The Taleban have entrenched themselves in fortified position in and around Mingora. The army is likely to use aircraft and artillery to soften up these targets before sending in ground troops.
But even then, the fighting on the ground is expected to be bloody and long drawn-out.
See a map of the region
As dawn broke in Mingora, thousands of civilians began to leave. A local journalist described the event as something out of Doomsday, reports the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad.
Men, women, children and the elderly were seen moving along the road that leads out of the region.
The lucky ones were able to get some sort of transport, ranging from a local bus to a donkey cart.
But many plodded down the road on foot carrying what little they could gather, our reporter said.
"We are going out only with our clothes and a few things to eat on the long journey," Rehmat Alam, a 40-year-old medical technician, told the Associated Press news agency.
"We just got out relying on God because there is no one else to help us."
'Guerrilla war'
Due to the intensity of the fighting and the cutting of phone networks, it is difficult to get independent information on the fighting or verify the army's claim that it has killed nearly 200 militants in the past two days alone, correspondents say.
Pakistan's government signed a peace agreement with the Swat Taleban in February, allowing Sharia law there, a move sharply criticised by Washington.
Cynicism among Swat refugees In pictures: Pakistanis fleeCynicism among Swat refugees In pictures: Pakistanis flee
Pakistan's government signed a peace agreement with the Swat Taleban in February, allowing Sharia law there, which was sharply criticised by Washington.
The militants then moved towards the capital, Islamabad, causing further alarm.The militants then moved towards the capital, Islamabad, causing further alarm.
Up to 15,000 troops have been deployed in the Swat valley and neighbouring areas to take on 4,000-5,000 militants. Up to 15,000 troops have now been deployed in the Swat valley and neighbouring areas to take on up to 5,000 militants. The military has said it intends to "eliminate" the Taleban fighters.
The military has said it intends to "eliminate" the Taleban fighters. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday called the conflict "a guerrilla war".
The fighting has already displaced some 200,000 people, while a further 300,000 are estimated to be on the move or about to flee, the UN says.
The government also said on Saturday that refugee camps would be set up in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, and to the north-east in Naushara.
Footage on local television showed people at one camp desperately looting UN supplies including blankets and cooking oil.
'Road jammed'
Earlier, fighting was reported to have reached Mingora, which the army has been trying to recapture.
One resident in the town told the Associated Press news agency he was too scared to flee, and was running out of food for his three children.
"We have no electricity, no running water, and we are almost out of food, milk and other things," said the man, Ikramullah Khan. "We do not know what to do."
Some 15,000 troops have been deployed to fight the Taleban
The army said it had killed 55 more militants on Saturday, having said that more than 140 militants had died in earlier clashes.
Due to the intensity of the fighting and the cutting of phone networks, it is difficult to get independent information on the fighting or verify the army's claims, correspondents say.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani told reporters on Saturday called the conflict "a guerrilla war".
"This is our own war. This is war for the survival of the country," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying."This is our own war. This is war for the survival of the country," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.
Residents have been blaming both sides for the violence, our correspondent says, as the military continues to bombard the area while the Taleban reportedly prevents people from fleeing. The fighting has already displaced some 200,000 people, while a further 300,000 are estimated to be on the move or poised to flee, the UN says.
One Mingora resident was quoted by Reuters saying he had not been able to escape during an earlier curfew. On Saturday the government said that refugee camps would be set up in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, and to the north-east in Naushara.
"We are feeling so helpless, we want to go but can't," said Sallahudin Khan. Footage on local television showed people at one camp desperately looting UN supplies, including blankets and cooking oil.
"We tried to leave yesterday after authorities relaxed the curfew for a few hours, but we couldn't as the main road leading out of Mingora was literally jammed with the flood of fleeing people."
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