Police gunned down three militants when they ambushed a police van at Kokarai in Swat late last night, said district police chief Qazi Ghulam Farooq.
At least 10 militants and a soldier were killed in fresh anti-Taliban operations in the restive Swat valley in Pakistan's northwest, from where 24 insurgents were also captured, authorities said today.
Seven militants and a soldier were killed in an exchange of fire that erupted when security forces were conducting a search operation near the tourist resort of Malam Jabba in Swat. Two soldiers were also injured in the skirmish, the military said in a statement.
Police gunned down three militants when they ambushed a police van at Kokarai in Swat late last night, said district police chief Qazi Ghulam Farooq. The van was on a routine patrol when militants fired at it. The exchange of fire between police and militants continued for several hours.
The army is continuing its search and clearance operations in Swat and other parts of the Malakand division, which were recently wrested from the control of the Taliban.
Eleven suspected militants were captured at Dosara Banda, Bartan, Nalkot Bagh Dheri and Rahatkot while a jirga or tribal council handed over a militant to security forces.In the Bajaur tribal region, security forces apprehended a militant commander and five of his accomplices during a search operation.
Six suspects were arrested at Bara in the Khyber tribal region, the Frontier Corps said. Over 100 militants have been killed in Khyber Agency since troops launched an offensive against rebels in the area last week.
Security forces had initially planned to wind down operations in Khyber Agency yesterday, but stepped up their actions against militants after a vehicle carrying troops was targeted with a roadside bomb.
Security forces shelled militant hideouts overnight. Meanwhile, 12 militants surrendered to security forces in Swat and Bajaur Agency.
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