Pakistani troops clear Taliban stronghold in Swat

By Kamran Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani troops cleared on Wednesday the last Taliban stronghold in the Swat Valley, the army said, and appealed for public support to defeat militants in an Afghan border region.

The military went on the offensive in Swat two months ago after the Taliban seized a district just 100 km (60 miles) from Islamabad, raising alarm at home and among Western allies who need Pakistan's help to fight al Qaeda and to tackle Afghanistan's insurgency.

Nearing the end of its offensive in Swat, the military is set to launch a separate assault on Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border.

On Wednesday, soldiers captured the town of Shah Dheri, the militants' last stronghold in the former tourist valley of Swat, a military spokesman said.

Five soldiers were wounded in a clash as troops consolidated their positions and searched the area, said the spokesman.

A resident of the area, Abdul Ghaffar, welcomed the troops and said the Taliban had fled into the mountains.

"Now you can see troops everywhere, on the streets, in the villages and on rooftops while the militants are hiding in the peaks," Ghaffar said by telephone.

But no Taliban leaders have been among the approximately 1,600 militants the army has reported killed in Swat. Independent casualty estimates are not available.