Pakistani soldiers moved into a key Taliban-dominated town in the Swat valley on Sunday, the military said, intensifying the offensive that had displaced over 1 million people, according to DPA. Ground troops entered the strategically important town of Matta and the nearby Kanju area to eliminate "miscreants and terrorists," and asked locals to identify the Taliban targets. The onslaught's "new phase" marking the commencement of urban warfare came more than a week after the military formally announced "a full-scale operation" in the former tourist hub of Swat, some 140 kilometers north-west of the capital Islamabad. "Security forces with the help of local population will not only clear, secure and hold the area, but will make sure that miscreants, terrorists are chased and killed to avert any possibility of their return," the military said in a statement on Sunday. Matta is located about 20 kilometers from Swat's main town of Mingora, the outskirts of which was also the scene of "intense fire engagements" between militants and troops, who seemed close to entering the town to confront pockets of resistance. Twenty-five Taliban fighters and an army officer were killed during the last 24 hours, the military said.
