Pakistan army says in final phase of Swat offensive

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan security forces are near the end of their offensive in the Swat valley, the army said on Monday, with more than 40,000 people on the move before the next phase starts against the Pakistani Taliban's headquarters.

The offensive in Swat, 120 km (80 miles) northwest of Islamabad, came after Taliban gains raised fears for the future of nuclear-armed Pakistan, a vital ally for the United States as it strives to defeat al Qaeda and stabilise Afghanistan.

Nearly 2 million people have fled fighting in the northwest, most since the army pushed into the former tourist valley of Swat in early May, and the United Nations is appealing for $543 million (332.4 million pounds) in aid to avert a long-term humanitarian crisis.

"The security forces are in the final phase of eliminating terrorist hide-outs and camps in Swat," chief military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas told a media briefing.

Sporadic clashes were going on as the military cleared the militants' last strongholds in the scenic valley, and 22 militants had been killed in the previous 24 hours, he said.

Pakistan's fragile civilian government, which came to power last year, has the support of most political parties and members of the public for the offensive but risks seeing that evaporate if displaced people are seen to suffer unduly.

Washington, alarmed by Taliban aggression earlier in the year, has been heartened by the military action and will be eager to see similar action against factions, including the Afghan Taliban, who launch attacks into Afghanistan from Pakistani enclaves.

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