Pakistan troops attack Taliban

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan sent helicopter gunships and troops to attack Taliban extremists Sunday in a district covered by a peace deal after strong U.S. pressure on the nuclear-armed nation to confront insurgents advancing in its northwest.

The operation, which left 31 people dead, appeared to endanger a peace pact struck with Taliban rebels in neighboring Swat Valley, although a top official insisted the deal was "intact."

Another official demanded the insurgents disarm, but a Taliban spokesman said the rebels would not give up their weapons.

The offensive in the area known as Lower Dir also came ahead of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's scheduled meeting with President Obama in early May, but Pakistani officials denied outside pressure influenced the move.

A rebel commander was killed in the operation, according to an army statement and Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik.

The statement said the operation was launched at the request of the provincial government and local residents.

The government had agreed to impose Islamic law in Swat and surrounding districts if the Taliban there would end their violent campaign. Critics labeled the deal a "surrender" to the rebels and warned Swat could turn into a haven for allies of al-Qaida.

In recent days, Taliban forces from Swat began entering Buner, a neighboring district just 60 miles from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Officials said most of the insurgents pulled out of Buner on Friday amid reports of possible military action and threats that the government would scrap the deal.

Losing either Lower or Upper Dir to rebels would be a blow not only for Pakistan but also for the United States because a part of the region borders Afghanistan, where the thousands of U.S. troops are being sent to shore up the faltering war effort against a resurgent Taliban.

Farhatullah Babar, spokesman for Zardari, said the offensive Sunday had nothing to do with U.S. pressure.

The fighting appeared to signal a stronger resolve by Pakistan's government to challenge moves by Taliban factions to expand the areas they control outside of Swat.

"Enough is enough. We have decided to flush them out," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the independent television channel Geo.

A similar peace deal attempted in Swat last year fell apart within a few months, and officials said it gave the rebels there a chance to regroup and rearm, making them a more challenging enemy when the army resumed its fight in the valley.