Pakistan Attacks Militants
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CHAN:Pakistani troops have launched an offensive against militants on the border with Afghanistan. It's a region regarded as a safe haven for al Qaeda and Taliban fighters. But local residents have also come under attack. Here's the story.
STORY:Fighter jets and helicopters have been pounding militant hideouts in the tribal region of Bajaur. Over 200 people have been killed in the attacks. Officials say most of them are militants, but there have also been some civilian deaths.Security forces warned people to leave before they began the offensive. Some locals are going to stay with friends or family in safer parts of Pakistan. But more and more are arriving at relief centers set up in schools and camps.[Fazle Akbar, Law Student]:"There is bombing going on there, and bomb blasts, and shelling from F-16 and Mirage helicopters, which has forced the people to flee from there and take refuge here."Akbar's family is one of the 250 camping on the grounds of a government high school. By yesterday more than 1300 people are now living here.Some of the refugees are blaming the government for their plight.[Abdul Rahman, Bajaur Resident]:"This is a conspiracy by the government. There are no Taliban there, or al-Qaeda. They are all simple, ordinary Muslims. The government is just selling our skulls and digesting the money."Doctors in the camp are offering round-the-clock help in a makeshift hospital.[DR Abdul Qadir, Government Doctor]:"A majority of our patients are suffering from gastric disorders, malaria and skin rashes. We are giving them full time attention. Our doctors are here around the clock, 24 hours."According to the latest U.N. figures, about 250,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.
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