By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s military said Wednesday that the security forces killed up to 25 militants in the troubled Swat valley in the country’s northwest.
The army launched a major operation in the valley after Taliban kidnapped 25 police and paramilitary soldiers from a police station Tuesday.
Local TV channels quoted army information officer in the area Major Farooq as saying that curfew was imposed in the whole Swat valley before launching operation early Wednesday.
He said that around 25 armed militants were killed in the Srabandey area of Swat.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan was quoted as saying that the militants destroyed an armored vehicle of the security forces, causing casualties. The army did not confirm the claim.
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 some time in Swat after the peace deal was signed but tension grew as Taliban kept on demanding implementation of the agreement.
The situation turned ugly when Taliban killed three members of the intelligence agency Monday in Swat and kidnapped some 25 policemen Tuesday.