By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s army said Wednesday it killed at least 11 Islamic militants in the restive Swat district in the North Western Frontier Province.
“Our troops targeted insurgents’ positions with artillery fire in Kuza Bandai area of the district this morning. According to initial reports, 11 miscreants were killed and many injured in the action,” army spokesman Major Murad Khan said.
Security forces cordoned off the area and were trying to clear out pockets of resistance, he added.
The clashes in Swat started October last year when the government dispatched troops to quell the rebellion of radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah and thousands of his followers who launched a campaign to enforce Taliban rule in the area.
The government’s action triggered months of fighting which killed hundreds.
Pakistan’s new civilian government started peace talks with the Swat militants in March immediately after it took office. But that did not stop the violence, and the government resumed its military offensives in early July.