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Pakistani security sources on Tuesday confirmed that they had retrieved the bodies of 41 Taliban militants over the past 24 hours in the Swat Valley, and secured the surrender of 104 extremists from the Kanju region. According to the sources, the killings appeared to be acts of revenge. Six of the 41 killed were found beheaded, and dumped on the roadside, riverside and fields in different areas. So far, 251 people have been found dead in similar circumstances since July. According to an ISPR press release, the offensive in Swat has killed over 2,000 militants and 312 soldiers in the fighting. Independent casualty estimates are unavailable. The military push had forced 1.9 million civilians from their homes, most of them seeking refuge with relatives and the rest crowding into refugee camps, creating a humanitarian crisis for impoverished Pakistan. Last month, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had announced that the military had 'eliminated' extremists in the northwest and according to government and UN statistics 1.6 million displaced people have returned home.

41 Taliban killed in last 24 hours, 104 surrender