MINGORA, Pakistan — Pakistan’s army readied a major assault to rid the main town in the Swat Valley of Taliban militants, who the military said Friday were shaving their beards in order to mingle undetected with fleeing civilians.
The streets of Mingora were mostly empty. The government relaxed a curfew to allow thousands of refugees to leave with whatever possessions they could carry ahead of what is expected to be bloody fighting.
An Associated Press reporter saw four armed Taliban on the edge of town, about a mile from an army checkpoint. The army and witnesses have said the militants have dug trenches and laid mines to repel an assault.
Pakistan began operations in the valley and surrounding districts last month following intense U.S. pressure for action against extremists eroding the stability of the nuclear-armed state and attacking U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
The military said it has killed more than 800 of the estimated 4,000 militants in the region, but the fighting has triggered an exodus of at least 900,000 people, creating a humanitarian crisis.
The army said that in the past 24 hours, it has “achieved success in various areas of Swat” and has killed 55 more fighters, with the loss of three soldiers.
The army says it is advancing slowly to limit civilian casualties. Public opinion appears to support the offensive, but the mood could quickly turn against the pro-Western government if the fighting drags on and civilian hardship mounts.
