Pakistani Offensive Against Taliban Continues

The Pakistan town of Mingora in the Swat region has shut down due to the army offensive against the Taliban.Armed militants, some with masks, patrol streets and gunshots are heard, while army helicopters target Swat's famous emerald mines. Residents injured in the fighting are treated at a makeshift hospital, while the region has been under curfew for days, apart from brief breaks to allow people to flee the area. Hundreds rush to catch buses and pile on trucks to escape the violence, while some even flee on foot. The offensive was launched last week after the U.S. accused the government of "abdicating" to militants.The chief of Pakistan's army has ordered troops to avoid civilian casualties and the operation has broad political and public support.But that could change if many civilians are killed, or if the hundreds of thousands displaced by the fighting suffer unduly.  About 15,000 security force members are facing off with some 5,000 militants in the the Swat region, according to the military. Pakistan officials say an estimated 800,000 civilians had fled so far in the latest fighting.

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