Helicopter gunships pounded pro-Taliban militants in the mountains of northwest Pakistan on Thursday, reportedly killing as many as 70 in an increasingly bloody conflict between the government and Islamist forces.
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, meanwhile, flew to the United Arab Emirates to visit family two weeks after assassins tried to kill her when she returned from self-exile to lead her party in parliamentary elections. A spokesman said the former premier was expected back in a week.
Pakistan has been rocked by suicide bombings and clashes between security forces and militants in recent weeks, deepening unease ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of the Oct. 6 presidential victory by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally.
There are fears Musharraf could impose a state of emergency or martial law if the judges rule against another five-year term, jeopardizing the country's transition to civilian rule and perhaps worsening instability as the government confronts Islamic militants. [AP]
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