Jalozai Camp (Pakistan), July 13 (DPA) Many of the thousands displaced by fighting between the military and Taliban in north-western Pakistan began returning Monday to their homes in parts of the Swat Valley.

Authorities transported families from tented camps set up in the districts of Nowshera and Charsadda, located close to the Buner district which was overrun by the Taliban in April, prompting a government offensive.

'We have so far dispatched 108 families and the process will continue through the day,' said Tahir Orakzai, a government official looking after the operations at the Jalozai Camp in Nowshera.

But the displaced people appeared reluctant to return. Vehicles taking them back home were half-empty.

The UN stressed last week that the return of refugees must be voluntary.

'As soon as the first convoy safely reaches Swat, other people in the (Jalozai) camp will be encouraged, and this will also allay their fears about the security situation in their hometowns,' Orakzai said.

The Swat Valley, a former tourist haven, and its adjoining districts had been under the control of Islamist militants, led by local radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah, before the government launched an offensive in April.

More than two million people fled the scenic mountain region as the fighting intensified.