REUTERS: KOTA, Pakistan - Taliban fighters are shaving off their beards and trying to flee from a Pakistani army offensive in their Swat bastion, the military said on Friday, as it relaxed a curfew to allow civilians to get out.
The army launched an offensive in the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, last week to stop the spread of Taliban influence which had alarmed the United States and other Western allies of nuclear-armed Pakistan.
More than 900,000 civilians have fled and the United Nations has warned of a humanitarian tragedy unless Pakistan gets massive assistance.
Clashes had erupted in various parts of the region, the military said on Friday, adding it was achieving successes.
It also appealed to civilians to identify Taliban fighters trying to flee.
"We have confirmed reports that these Taliban terrorists, after shaving off their beards and cutting their hair, are fleeing from the area," the military said in a statement.
"We request the people of Swat to identify them," it said, while providing a telephone number for informants to call or send text messages.
Taliban members and supporters usually have long beards and many of them also have long hair. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban about the military's statement. >>> By Junaid Khan | Friday, May 15, 2009
