Earlier this week, the Pakistani government began returning people to their homes in Swat, saying the valley's major cities and towns had been cleared of Taliban militants. Several international aid agencies have questioned whether the Swat region is secure enough for the 2 million displaced by the fighting to return. Even as caravans of buses and trucks transported scores of residents and their belongings back to Swat this week, fighting broke out in the valley that left 13 militants and one soldier dead.
At Kacha Garhi, which has housed 10,000 people, camp guards said they were powerless to subdue the gunmen because they were never issued firearms.
An eyewitness, Muhammad Ali, said he watched as one of the gunmen grabbed Usman by the collar and dragged him toward the attackers' car. When the camp guard fired, the assailants fired back with AK-47 rifles, killing the guard and Usman, Ali said.
