Swat Valley offensive kills 700 Taliban, claims Pakistan
Attacks on the Swat valley have left hundreds of Taliban militant's dead
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Monday, 11, May 2009 11:28
Attacks on the Swat valley have reportedly left hundreds of Taliban militant's dead, as the UN claims refugee numbers have reached crisis levels.
A suicide bomber also killed at least ten people in an attack at a checkpoint near Peshawar on Monday.
Government forces launched an air attack on Swat, which is reported to have killed approximately 700 militants. As a curfew was lifted yesterday, thousands of refugees fled the area, with the UN reporting half a million people were now displaced by the fighting.
The United Nations has since said they fear more than double that number could register as refugees if the fighting continues.
The United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) Ron Redmond reported, "the new arrivals are going to place huge additional pressure on resources".
To date, more than 83,000 people from Buner, Dir, and Swat have been registered from the new influx, including almost 5,000 staying in three new camps and more than 78,000 people who are staying outside of camps, renting houses or staying with host families.
Interior minister, Rehman Malik, said the fighting would continue against the Taliban forces, following the Pakistani army's deployment into Swat last Thursday, of 15,000 soldiers. It is estimated 5,000 militants are currently in the area, which lies in the Malakand region.