Pakistan: 751 militants killed in operation

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-13-2009 09:47

The Pakistani army says military operations, which began late April, have killed more than 750 militants and driven around 650-thousand people from their homes.

Pakistani army troops man a bunker in Buner. Pakistani commandos dropped into a Taliban stronghold in Swat valley Tuesday, stepping up a punishing offensive against militants that has now displaced more than half a million people. (AFP/Tariq Mahmood)

Pakistan's army said on Tuesday that its troops had killed 751 militants in Swat and neighboring districts so far.

29 security personnel were also killed and 77 others were wounded in the operations.

Army officials said the Taliban had suffered "heavy losses" in the past 24 hours. The militants are fleeing districts like Dir, Buner and Swat, where the Pakistani military continues its offensive.

Athar Abbas, Pakistani Military Spokesman, said, "Order and search operations continue at Bina Baba Ziyarat, the miscreants have suffered heavily and eleven security forces personnel have also been injured in the last 24 hours."

The army said it had yet to start operations in the region's main town of Swat. That's where witnesses say Taliban insurgents are in control...and preparing for what could be bloody door-to-door fighting.

The Pakistani army estimates that over 100-thousand internally displaced people are now fleeing from the conflict area.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei