, hard won from Taliban fighters . The militants , Nadeem says , have fled to nearby mountains . On the ground , he shows off a cache of weapons seized in the fighting . The soldiers are keen to boast their victory . Mingora remains on high alert . A curfew has been lifted for morning hours , although soldiers keep close watch on those who venture out . The city 's pain is plainly evident on its scarred , deserted streets . Many shops are shuttered or destroyed . Watch Stan Grant tour the shattered streets of Mingora '' The United Nations estimates that 375,000 Swat Valley residents fled their homes during the fighting . In all , 2.5 million Pakistanis were displaced in what was said to be one of the largest human migrations in recent history . About 260,000 people have been living in 21 refugee camps in neighboring Mardan , Swabi , Nowshera , Peshawar and Charssada districts , but the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees say the `` vast majority '' of internally displaced Pakistanis have been staying with host families , rented houses or in schools . The government plans to return
MINGORA , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gen. Nadeem Ahmad swirls the helicopter over Pakistan 's ground zero . Below is the Swat Valley of North West Frontier Province . A Pakistani soldier patrols a ruined street in Mingora . From the air , the valley in the foothills of the Hindu Kush looks undisturbed . Green fields amid clusters of drab houses . A closer look at Swat reveals how well the Pakistani Army fared in its military campaign to wipe out the militants . The cost of success : massive destruction that is sure to hamper the lives of already suffering residents just starting to trickle back to the homes they fled . A few months ago , ferocious battles between Pakistan 's Army and Taliban fighters erupted here -- in Swat , Buner and Lower Dir districts . War 's remnants serve as a constant reminder . A destroyed bridge . Pockmarked houses . Hotels that look like they 've been abandoned for years . Nadeem maneuvers the chopper to circle Mingora , the largest city in the Swat Valley . From the hilltop Army sentry posts that come into view , soldiers survey the ground below