An unconfirmed number puts the Taliban At 775 dead , And about 30 Pakistani military dead ! And people fleeing the area At about 360,000 !
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KOTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani soldiers closed in on Tuesday on a Taliban headquarters in Swat, the military said, as the United Nations called for help for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the fighting.
The offensive in Swat, 130 km (80 miles) northwest of Islamabad, is seen as a test of the government's commitment to face up to a growing Taliban insurgency and comes after the United States accused it of "abdicating" to the militants.
The fighting has caused a civilian exodus from the valley, once a tourist destination, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.
Helicopters flew soldiers into the remote Peochar valley, where the Taliban have a headquarters, a military spokesman said in a statement.
Residents said troops had also been seen moving on the ground toward Peochar, a side valley running northwest off the main Swat valley.
"It looks as if there will be a big assault as we saw many helicopters flying toward Peochar and foot soldiers were also moving there," said villager Nawaz Khan.
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