Pakistani Civilians Stuck as 55 Militants Die in War

Curfew curbs residents' flight in 'war of country's survival'

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted May 9, 2009 5:08 PM CDT

(Newser) – Pakistani troops and warplanes killed at least 55 Taliban militants today in what Prime Minister Raza Gilani is calling a "war of the country's survival," the AP reports. Fighting centered in the northwestern Swat Valley, where a curfew prevented residents from fleeing and the main town has only three doctors left, reports Reuters. “We are in pain," said one tearful civilian. "We are helpless and homeless."

Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of desperate refugees continued to challenge nuclear-armed Pakistan's security, in one case looting a UN camp for supplies. About 500,000 have been displaced, and Islamabad says the Taliban use many as human shields. Mindful of rampant mistrust in the government, Gilani has directed millions of dollars to assist residents and engender government support.

[Images (5)]

[Quotes (1)]

Young boys hold teapots as they line up to receive hot tea at a refugee camp near Mardan, in northwest Pakistan, Saturday, May 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)

Ghafar Khan, who was injured by shell fragments during fighting in Pakistan's northwest Buner district a month ago, cries in a hospital in Mardan, Pakistan, Saturday, May 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)

A child sits with his mother in a car at a refugee camp near Mardan, in northwest Pakistan, Saturday, May 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)

A student from Swat Valley takes part in a rally against the ongoing military operation in the valley, Saturday, May 9, 2009 in Peshawar, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

We do not know what to do. My wife has been mixing a few drops of milk into water just to make it look like milk. The younger children are not fooled. They just cry. - Pakistani civilian

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

US, Afghanistan, Taliban: Secret Talks Under Way

Hamid Karzai is in Pakistan today to discuss negotiations

(NEWSER) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Pakistan today, one day after telling the Wall Street Journal that his country has entered into three-way peace talks with the Taliban and the US. Karzai is in Pakistan to discuss the negotiations and request that country's help; Islamabad's cooperation is necessary, since Taliban fighters have reportedly been receiving support from Pakistan, the New York Times notes. The recent talks signal a breakthrough, considering the Taliban has up until now insisted it would not negotiate with Karzai's "puppet regime." More»

US Kills Taliban Commander With al-Qaeda Ties

Drone strike indicates again that drones are back in action in Pakistan.

(AP) - A US drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region today, killing five suspected militants, according to intelligence officials. The Taliban identified one of them as Badar Mansoor, a prominent commander who has served as a key link to al-Qaeda. Mansoor led a group of more than 200 Pakistani Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for militants in Pakistan, said a fellow insurgent. More»

Arab League, UN Struggle to Respond to 'War on Syrians'

Even worse is yet to come, fears Ban Ki-Moon

(NEWSER) - As Syrian forces continue to bombard civilians in Homs , a desperate Arab League is considering reviving a monitoring mission with the help of the United Nations in a bid to stem the violence. UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said the "disastrous" failure to agree on a UN resolution on Syria has encouraged Damascus "to step up its war on its own people," adding: "I fear that the appalling brutality we are witnessing in Homs, with heavy weapons firing into civilian neighborhoods, is a grim harbinger of worse to come." Arab League chief Nabil el-Arabi hopes to revive a monitoring mission in Syria, which collapsed last month amid escalating violence, and is seeking UN help to do so, reports the BBC. More»

Backed By Pakistan, Taliban Set to Retake Afghanistan

ISI providing direct assistance, says secret NATO report viewed by the BBC

(NEWSER) - Big news from the BBC this morning: It says it has viewed a secret NATO report that suggests the Taliban will retake Afghanistan as soon as NATO exits the country, thanks in part to assistance it is receiving from Pakistan's ISI. The report was compiled following 27,000 interrogations of civilians and Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, and the BBC describes it as "painful reading." Among its claims: That Pakistan is aware of the whereabouts of a number of high-ranking Taliban leaders; that some of these Taliban members live near ISI's Islamabad headquarters; and that Pakistan is actually manipulating and controlling the Taliban. "The Taliban are not Islam. The Taliban are Islamabad," said an al-Qaeda detainee, according to the report. More»

US-Taliban Talks Stumble

Afghan fighters oppose cease-fire proposed by Washington

(NEWSER) - Long-rumored talks between the US and Taliban officials just got started and are already faltering, MSNBC reports. Meeting in Qatar, Taliban representatives balked today at Washington's demand for a cease-fire before negotiating a prisoner swap. "Our stance is the same. We will announce a cease-fire when the foreign forces start their withdrawal from Afghanistan," said a Taliban source. The New York Times reported earlier that the US had kicked off talks by offering the possible release of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Pakistani Civilians Stuck as 55 Militants Die in War