ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: At least 20 militants and their two senior commanders were killed in the Swat valley late on Friday in an air strike by the military, a senior security official said.

“Fighter jets struck the militants’ hideouts in (the area of) Peochar, killing 22,” the security official said.

A military spokesman in Swat told AFP that “a core of militants” had perished in the operation.

“Over 25 are dead, including two senior commanders,” the spokesman said.

“Their command and communications structure has also been destroyed. This was their key area where they had set up ammunition depots, which were also demolished.”

“This strike was carried out after intelligence that top Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah was hiding there,” the security official said, but he was unable to confirm if the main target was among the dead.

He did, however, say that two of the cleric’s senior commanders had been killed.

Chief military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas confirmed to AFP that several hideouts were destroyed in action and he was still collecting information.

Our Correspondent adds from Mingora: Key Taliban commander Mufti Saeedur Rehamn is believed to have been killed along with other militants when jet fighters pounded suspected hideouts destroying a number of ammunition dumps.

Military spokesman in Swat Major Nasir Ali told Dawn: “Ammunition dumps in the Peuchar area have been blown up in the heavy bombing. Smoke is billowing from the targeted site.”

Security forces had shelled suspected militant positions in Matta, Kabal and Charbagh tehsils late on Thursday night.

Three people were killed and five others injured in incidents of violence on Friday.

One man was killed in Dailay area of Barabanda and another in Hazar area of Kabal in incidents of firing.

In Matta a woman was killed and four children were injured when a mortar shell hit their house.

The house and Hujra of former nazim and chairman Swat peace committee Sher Khan also came under mortar attack. The elder brother of the former nazim was injured and the house was destroyed. Some adjacent houses were also damaged.

Curfew in Swat was relaxed from 7am to 8pm on Friday.