20,000 have fled Pak into Afghanistan: UN

Bajur is the most northerly of Pakistan’s wild tribal regions, several of which have fallen largely under the control of militants opposed to the Afghan and Pakistani governments.

According to Pakistani officials, the fighting in Bajur has displaced as many as 500,000 people. Most have found shelter with relatives across northwestern Pakistan, though about 1,00,000 have taken refuge in camps set up by Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan’s army claims to have killed more than 1,000 militants in the two-month-old offensive in Bajur. It has declined to estimate casualties among civilians.

Pakistan’s border region is considered a likely hiding place for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

“In the last two weeks alone, over 600 Pakistani families have fled into Afghanistan,” the UNHCR said. “While the vast majority of them are living with their relatives and friends, there are already some 200 families who live in the open air.”

The UNHCR said it believes that majority of those who have crossed into Afghanistan will return home once the fighting stops.