May 23, 2009

The Taliban visited the house of a local elder, Mehar Rafi in the Bijlee Ghar area of Kalam but, as there were no men inside the house, the women climbed to the rooftop of the house and opened fire. Five Taliban were killed at the scene.
An attempt by the Taliban to infiltrate Kalam village was repulsed in the first sign that the army’s action is encouraging residents to stand up against the militants. Kalam’s deputy mayor, Shamshad Haqqai, said that about 50 Taliban fighters tried to enter Kalam on Wednesday but that locals had fought them off.
The militants had come to the village to collect arms, ammunition and food.
Muhammadi Room, a Kalam resident, said the Taliban visited the house of a local elder, Mehar Rafi in the Bijlee Ghar area of Kalam but, as there were no men inside the house, the women climbed to the rooftop of the house and opened fire. Five Taliban were killed at the scene.
A doctor from the area, who did not want to be named, said a group of Taliban entered his clinic before taking him to a place were several fighters were injured. He said he treated the Taliban, numbering around six or seven, before being asked to leave.
Locals said the Pakistani security forces, which are involved in operation against the Taliban in Swat, had not yet reached Kalam to assist the revolt.
The army claims it has killed more than 1,000 militants and won back swathes of territory in Swat. But it faces stiff resistance and has ventured no prediction of when the Taliban will be defeated.
Authorities say the clashes have prompted about 1.9 million people to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis that could sap popular support for the drive. Locals said an outflow had also started from South Waziristan amid predictions of a Swat-style operation in the stronghold of Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.
At a donors’ conference yesterday in Islamabad, Pakistan’s allies promised $224 million in aid for people displaced by the offensive.