'Thousands flee' Taliban-held town

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled from a Taliban-occupied town in northwest Pakistan's Swat valley after the country's military suspended its curfew, according to officials.People rushed out of Mingora on Friday after the government relaxed its restrictions around the city and advised civilians to leave."People are leaving in large numbers ... They are vacating their homes," Arsha Khan, a local administration official, said.Pakistan's military is pursuing its 20th day of operations against suspected Taliban bases in the districts of Swat, Buner and Lower Dir in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP).At least 55 suspected Taliban fighters have been killed in the last 24 hours by government forces in the NWFP, a military statement released on Friday said.Three soldiers were killed in Taliban counterattacks over the same period, the statement said.