ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, AND NEW DELHI — Pakistan launched a military operation against militants Sunday in a district that has been covered under a controversial peace deal with the Taliban, suggesting a tougher line by the government -- at least temporarily.
The military said at least 30 militants were killed, including a commander of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban, a Pakistani umbrella group of extremists, as armed helicopters attacked their positions in the Lower Dir district in northwestern Pakistan.
The military action could jeopardize the peace pact, under which the Taliban has been allowed to enforce Sharia, or Islamic law, giving it de facto authority in the Swat Valley and nearby areas.
The United States, some Pakistani lawmakers and analysts have criticized the deal, contending that it could embolden the extremists rather than lead to genuine peace. Some of those fears appeared justified when Taliban fighters moved into the Buner district abutting Swat, hoping to extend their influence.
Government warnings caused the groups to retreat to Swat late last week, although militants were still on the streets when a reporter visited Saturday. Residents said they were local Taliban members.
Sunday's action may have been intended to send a signal to the Taliban. The attack was carried out in the hometown of Maulana Sufi Mohammed, an influential cleric who brokered the peace pact.
Also Sunday, the remains of Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak, who was taken hostage and apparently beheaded by Taliban militants, were delivered in a casket to a paramilitary camp, Pakistani officials said.
Stanczak had been kidnapped Sept. 28. A video released this year showed his apparent beheading, which Polish officials said they believed was authentic. His body will be handed over to Polish authorities. Despite the new military action, officials said the peace deal remained intact. Under the agreement, Taliban militants were supposed to disarm, although by many indications this has not happened.
A statement by the military Sunday said the Lal Qila area in Lower Dir was fully secured after the successful operation by the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary unit.
In Islamabad, the capital, top Interior Ministry official Rehman Malik warned militants not to challenge government authority.
"Militants have no option but to lay down their arms because the government is serious about flushing them out," he told local television reporters. "Enough is enough."
