Swat residents flee Taliban rule

BBC:

Hundreds of residents in Pakistan's Swat Valley are fleeing their homes as a peace deal between the army and the Taleban appears close to collapse.

Officials say up to 500,000 people are expected to flee and authorities are preparing six refugee camps for them.

There have been clashes between the army and militants in Swat and heavy battles in neighbouring districts.

A major army operation against the Taleban in Swat Valley appears likely, says the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan.

Our Islamabad correspondent says the army seems in an uncompromising mood, with the renewed violence apparently the death knell for the peace deal, which has held since February.

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Notice they are not fleeing toward the Taliban but away from them. That ells you which way they are voting in this conflict. It would be pretty irrational to flee toward Taliban oppression. I think it is good news that the "truce" is breaking down. It was a huge mistake to begin with and was destined to failure anyway.