Islamabad: Pressing with their military offensive to "eliminate" the Taliban, Pakistani fighter jets and helicopter gunships on Friday pounded militant hideouts in the restive Swat valley and nearby areas where the troops killed 140 insurgents in fierce battles.
For the second day in running, troops directed heavy artillery fire as they encountered stiff resistance from Taliban fighters. The military said that more than 5,000 militants might be holed up in the district including fighters from Waziristan and from groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed.
"The army is now engaged in a full-scale operation to eliminate miscreants," Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told a press briefing.
"They are on the run and trying to block the exodus of civilians from the area. During the last 24 hours, approximately over 140 militants have been killed in different areas," he said. The ongoing operations across the districts of Swat, Buner and Dir had already killed 300 militants.
The intensification in the military offensive came after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that "to restore the honour and dignity of our homeland and to protect our people, the armed forces have been called in to eliminate the militants and terrorists."