Pakistani troops fight Taliban in Swat valley

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Street fighting erupted in the main town of Pakistan's Swat valley on Saturday as security forces mounted a new phase of their offensive against Taliban militants, the military said.

The battle for control of Mingora is crucial to the success of the offensive launched this month to regain control of the Swat valley and stem a spreading Taliban insurgency.

"Street fighting has begun in Mingora," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told a news conference.

He said government forces had cleared parts of the town but fierce clashes were underway in the centre of Mingora, and 17 militants had been killed on Saturday.

The operation would be slow as security forces wanted to avoid civilian casualties, he said, although most residents had moved out and only five to 10 percent were still in the town. He feared militants could use civilians as "human shields."

"The pace of the operation will be painfully slow. So be patient but the operation has started and inshallah (God willing) we are going to take it to a logical conclusion."

About 15,000 security forces are taking part in the Swat offensive, which followed intense U.S. pressure on Pakistan to tackle Taliban militants.

Pakistan says more than 1,000 militants and more than 50 soldiers have been killed in the fighting. There has been no independent confirmation of those estimates.