By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani army said Monday that 94 militants have been killed in a major operation launched against in the country’s restive Swat valley.
The security forces launched a major operation against Taliban in Swat Valley on July 28 a day after the militants killed three intelligent agents and kidnapped over 20 security personnel from a check post.
In charge of the operation Brigadier Zia Budla told reporters that 14 soldiers also lost lives in the operation.
He said that 28 civilians including women and children have also been killed who were caught in clashes.
There was reaction from the Taliban to the army’s statement about casualties.
Meanwhile the local Taliban kept on their campaign to burn girls schools and government buildings in the area and burnt two more schools and also blew up a health center.
Over 60 girls schools have been burnt in less than two months in Swat by the Taliban, according to governor North West Frontier Province, Owais Ahmed Gahni.
Suspected Taliban burnt a girls school at Kishwara area of Swat late last night, locals said. They said that masked men also blew up a basic heath center at Malam Jaba area.
Armed men torched another girls school in the outskirts of Mingora city.
The army spokesman in the area Major Murad said that the forces had killed 15 fighters at Ronial area near Mingora last night. But Taliban made counter claim of killing 40 soldiers. The army denied the Taliban claim.
The forces are also using gunship helicopters and artillery to bomb positions of suspected militants.
Hundreds of people have fled to safe places since the security forces launched operation and the authorities have imposed curfew in various parts of the valley.
Fighting in Swat has posed threat to a peace deal signed by Taliban and the government in the northwest in May.
Taliban had agreed to stop attacks on the security forces and the government had agreed to withdraw army and to release Taliban prisoners.
But Taliban say that the government has violated the agreement by launching operation and not releasing their prisoners.