Pat Dollard

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PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Fierce fighting erupted in a restive Pakistani valley Wednesday, officials said, killing 25 militants and four soldiers and undermining the government’s strategy of offering peace deals to pro-Taliban insurgents.

The military, already under U.S. pressure to crack down on militant sanctuaries, rejected a report that its intelligence agents have ties with al-Qaida-linked hardliners.

Pakistan’s 4-month-old civilian government has tried to curb militant violence through dialogue, but many outside the country fear peace deals have given Taliban and al-Qaida more freedom to operate.

Militants abducted at least 25 police and paramilitary troops in the northwestern valley of Swat on Tuesday, and clashes also left two troops and two militants dead.

The military responded with more force early Wednesday. Troops in Swat backed by helicopter gunships and armored vehicles, exchanged fire with militants for several hours. The army announced an indefinite, round-the-clock curfew.

Chief spokesman for the Pakistani army, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, said 25 militants—including a senior commander—were killed in the main clash after attacking a security post. Four soldiers, including an officer, also died in the gunbattle, he said.

Another group of about 70 militants tried to seize the market area of the town of Matta, Abbas said, but fled when reinforcements arrived at the town’s police station.

“The situation in Swat is that curfew has been imposed and security forces have been given orders to take strict action wherever militants or miscreants are involved in such actions,” he said.

It was not immediately possible to get independent confirmation of the casualty toll, and an aide to militant leader Mullah Fazlullah painted a different picture.

Muslim Khan, speaking to The Associated Press by telephone, said only five Taliban had been killed and claimed that the rebels had killed more than 30 security forces.

“The morale of our Taliban is high and security forces are retreating in several areas,” he said.