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'Progress' against Swat Taliban Stiff resistance by Swat Taliban
(about 11 hours later)
The Pakistani army says it has made steady progress against Taliban strongholds in the Swat valley. Pakistan's military says it has made steady progress amid stiff resistance from the Taliban in the Swat valley.
An army spokesman said that in addition to capturing parts of the valley's main city of Mingora, the troops had made gains in other parts of Swat. Troops have taken the town of Maalam Jabba, once popular with ski tourists, which militants had used as a training centre and supply base, the army said.
He told the BBC the army was moving in on a Taliban base in Piocar. Concern is growing for some 20,000 civilians still in Mingora city where street-to-street fighting continues.
The fighting began after a peace deal broke down earlier this month, prompting 2.4 million people to flee their homes, according to the UN. About 2.4 million people have fled the valley to stay in camps, with relatives or in rented property, the UN says.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said the estimate - provided by the North West Frontier Province - included about 200,000 people living in government-run camps, as well as others staying in public buildings or with local people, AFP news agency reported. name="goback"> The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said the estimate - provided by the North West Frontier Province - included about 160,000 people living in government-run camps.
See map of conflict region See map of conflict region
The Pakistan army's chief spokesman, Athar Abbas, told the BBC that some order had been restored to the streets of Mingora. Journalist have mostly been barred from frontline reporting but the BBC's Islamabad correspondent was among several journalists shown the mountain stronghold of Maalam Jabba which the army seized from the Taliban.
Street 'clearance' Troops had met "stiff resistance" before securing the town, said Athar Abbas, the army's chief spokesman.
'Long war'
He told the BBC that some order had been restored to the streets of Mingora.
"The latest situation is that almost, you could say, about one-quarter of Mingora city is under the possession of security forces there.""The latest situation is that almost, you could say, about one-quarter of Mingora city is under the possession of security forces there."
He said forces had linked up with comrades who were inside Mingora "but under siege". He had earlier said it would take 10 days to force out the Taliban.
"That... has increased the strength of the security forces there, and they are moving now to clearance of the streets, as well as house-to-house searches, and now separating civilians from the militants in this city."
He had earlier said it would take 10 days to remove the Taliban from Mingora.
A Taliban spokesman told the Associated Press that they would not fight the army in Mingora, but pledged to continue "the long war".A Taliban spokesman told the Associated Press that they would not fight the army in Mingora, but pledged to continue "the long war".
Spokesman Muslim Khan said "We have seen when the army retaliate for our attacks they always kill civilians. Meanwhile, assessments for reconstruction and resettlement of at least $1bn are being considered by the Pakistan government.
"Their attacks always damage public property. We do not want that." "We have started initial satellite surveys for the rehabilitation of homes, business and cultivatable lands," said Qamar Zaman Kaira, the federal information minister.
Journalists, including the BBC's Islamabad correspondent, were taken to a mountain which the army said was a strategic communications and training centre seized from the Taliban.
Pakistan's assault on the Taliban has the full backing of the US, which has identified Pakistan and Afghanistan as central to the international battle against Islamist extremism.
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