Pakistan captures large parts of Mingora

Times:

Pakistani troops have recaptured a large part of Mingora, the main town in the northwestern region of Swat, in what military officials described yesterday as a crucial phase of their operation against the Taleban.

Special forces commandos were fighting street by street with about 300 militants still entrenched inside deserted buildings in the town’s central commercial district, which has also been heavily mined by the insurgents, according to the officials.

The Army made a three-pronged assault on the town on Saturday after fighting for more than three weeks to secure control of the surrounding areas in what the Government has called a battle for the survival of Pakistan.

The troops moved into the town from the south, north-west and north-east, cutting supply lines to the militants, who have controlled most of Mingora since striking a controversial peace deal with the Government in February.

A senior security source told The Times that Mullah Fazlullah, who is spearheading the Taleban insurgency, had been surrounded in Mingora with some of his top commanders. Some reports suggested that Mullah Fazlullah, who is also known as Mullah Radio because of his pirate FM radio broadcasts, could have been seriously wounded during the fighting.

“We want to eliminate the entire leadership,” said Major-General Athar Abbas, the chief military spokesman. “Despite some difficulties, we are going to take the operation to a logical conclusion.”

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The Guardian reports:

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Last week, residents of some districts said the Taliban had said they would be killed if they obeyed army orders to flee.

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Judging by the number of refugees it appear that the threat was largely ignored, but it does tell you something about the oppression of Taliban rule.

If the Pakistan army can destroy the Taliban leadership holed up in the city that will be a plus in the war with the religious bigots. However, it should be noted that all of these reports are based on briefings with the Pakistan military and they are not first hand accounts of the fighting.