Pakistani forces "clearing last Taliban from Swat"

By Kamran Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani soldiers are clearing the last pockets of Taliban in the Swat valley, the military said on Monday, while security forces stepped up their assault on the Taliban headquarters in South Waziristan.

The Swat offensive was launched two months ago after Taliban fighters thrust towards the capital, raising alarm both at home and among allies who need nuclear-armed Pakistan's help to fight al Qaeda and tackle Afghanistan's insurgency.

The campaign has won the praise of close ally the United States, and the top U.S. commander for the region, General David Petraeus, met army chief General Ashfaq Kayani for talks on Sunday.

Military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas told a briefing that soldiers were attacking the militants' last main stronghold in the former tourist valley of Swat though a couple of other small pockets of resistance remained.

The rest of the valley was clear, he said.

"Their command structure has been totally dismantled, their training centres, ammunition dumps destroyed and their headquarters ... have been destroyed," Abbas said.

But with no Taliban leaders in Swat reported killed, concern has been raised about their ability to strike back. A militant spokesman said on Sunday his leaders were alive and determined to fight on.

Nearly 2 million people have fled from fighting in Swat and other parts of the northwest since late last year and aid groups are struggling to raise funds to help them.