Deadly fighting in Pak as trilateral summit gets underway

Islamabad, May 6 : Pakistan Army today widened its crackdown on Taliban and attacked them with helicopter gunships and tanks to wrest control of the restive Swat valley killing 64 extremists as thousands of people fled the region's main town Mingora following upsurge in violence.

While 35 Taliban fighters were killed as troops, under heavy tank fire cover, engaged the militants in street fighting in Mingora and took control of Emerald Mines, which Taliban were exploiting to enrich their coffers, two more lost their lives in gun battles at Saidu Sharief and Matta in Swat district, the army said.

Heavy fighting also raged in the nearby Buner district, 100 kms from Islamabad, where troops blasted Taliban fortifications in Pir Baba and Sultanwas areas killing 27 militants, days after the controversial Swat deal collapsed.

As the troops launched fresh offensive, Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani this afternoon and apprised him of the operation in Swat.

Troops took control of the Emerald Mines, which witnessed some of the heaviest fighting, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told reporters.

The action by the Pakistani security forces came as the trilateral summit of US, Pakistan and Afghanistan got underway in Washington with Asif Ali Zardari assuring his host that Islamabad's commitments to flush out militants will not waver. PTI