By Xinhua,
Islamabad : At least seven people were killed Thursday when a house in the northwestern Pakistani district of Swat was hit by shells in clashes between security forces and Taliban militants, according to local TV reports.
Witnesses were quoted as saying that women and children were among those killed at the Deolai area of the Swat valley.
Khyber TV in Pashto reported that two houses came under shelling, killing nine people.
Clashes between Taliban and security forces started Tuesday after Taliban killed three officials of the intelligence agency and kidnapped some 30 security personnel, including four soldiers from a check post.
Pakistan’s military said Wednesday that it killed 25 Taliban militants when a major operation was launched in the Swat valley.
It said that two officers and three soldiers also died in the operation launched early Wednesday morning in parts of the Swat valley a day after Taliban kidnapping of the security personnel from a police station.
But Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that only five Taliban fighters were killed and three others injured during Wednesday’s clashes, denying army statement of 25 Taliban deaths.
The government and Taliban in Swat stopped attacks after they signed a peace deal in May. But Taliban claimed that the government has not honored promises to release Taliban prisoners and to withdraw troops from Swat.
Calm returned for a short period of time in Swat after the peace deal was signed but tension grew as Taliban kept on demanding implementation of the agreement.