Pakistan army helicopters strafe militant positions in troubled northwest

Army helicopter gunships strafed militant positions in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, hitting a valley where fighters loyal to a pro-Taliban cleric have been battling security forces for months, the army said.

Soldiers also fired artillery and mortar shells at militants in Swat, inflicting "many casualties," the army said in a statement. It did not offer any specific death or injury figures.

Fighting in Swat, a former tourist destination about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Islamabad, has made parts of the region inaccessible to journalists, and the army claims could not be independently verified. The rebels could not be reached comment.

The army's attacks came a day after a top general said 15,000 troops were massed for a major offensive against Islamic insurgents in Swat.

Fighters loyal to Maulana Fazlullah, a rebel cleric who wants to impose Islamic rule, have steadily advanced down the Swat valley since July, taking over towns and driving back government forces. The militants' gains have raised concerns in the United States about Pakistan's ability to combat militancy and flush out remnants of al-Qaida and the Taliban believed to be sheltering in the country's rugged northwestern tribal areas.

The military also said Sunday it had detained five suspected militants at a roadblock near Mingora, the main town in the valley.

On Saturday, the military said between 35 and 40 rebels were killed in attacks by army helicopter gunships a day earlier, bringing the total number of rebels killed in the past week to more than 100.