Taliban continue use of human shields, bombing girls schools

The Australian:

TALIBAN militants are using civilians in Swat Valley towns as human shields and planting mines in girls' schools across Buner, say residents and the Pakistani military.

As intense fighting continued across Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, thousands of civilians fled the Swat Valley and Buner yesterday, taking advantage of a brief relaxation in military-imposed curfews.

The former tourist region of Swat has experienced the deadliest fighting between militants and the military since February, when a peace deal was struck to end the Taliban's 18-month campaign for imposition of sharia law.

At least 35 militants had died in fighting, as had nine Pakistani soldiers, the military reported. About 36 civilians have been killed in crossfire or by army snipers for breaching curfew.

Security officials said Taliban fighters had begun entering houses in Swat's main town, Mingora, and were using residents as human shields. The Government insists no formal army operation has begun in Swat, the stronghold of Taliban in the NWFP, and that all military action was retaliatory. But in Buner district, where the military's Operation Black Thunder is in its second week, the civilian toll is mounting fast.

A few kilometres from Buner, a makeshift refugee checkpoint clogs the main highway to Mardan. Mini-buses, trucks and tractors line the road competing with registration tents, soup kitchens and health clinics - all catering to thousands of displaced people who arrive each day. Officials say at least 5000 have registered in recent days.

From overcrowded vehicles piled with blankets, bags and livestock, exhausted men, women and children spill out.

At a checkpoint on the border with Swabi, an elderly teacher said many of the houses in his upper eastern Buner village of Kalpani, had been destroyed since the "military invasion" began on Monday. On that day four army tanks rolled into town. At least one has since been blown up.

The man gave his name but asked that it not be used, fearing Taliban reprisals. While his school was untouched by the Taliban, many of the girls' schools in his village were laid with mines.

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There is more including a 28 frame slide show with scenes from the area being contested. While some of these people claim they are unhappy with the army and the Taliban, they are not fleeing toward the Taliban controlled areas.

The story does provide grim evidence of what a wicked enemy the Taliban is. They have few inhibitions and they routinely engage in war crimes.