Taliban attempt to invade new district

Pakistani Taliban have moved into a new area in Pakistan, clashing with villagers and police in a mountain valley about 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad.

The clashes came as a Pakistani Taliban commander said the country's military and the US were colluding in American drone aircraft attacks and warned that the militants would take their war to Islamabad in response.

Scores of Taliban fighters have moved into Buner district north-west of Islamabad from the Swat valley, where authorities struck a peace pact in February aimed at ending violence. "About 20 vehicles carrying Taliban entered Buner on Monday and started moving around the bazaar and streets," said a senior police officer Israr Bacha.

Villagers formed a militia, known as a lashkar, to confront the Taliban and eight of the insurgents were killed in a clash on Tuesday, police said. Two villagers and three policemen were also killed.