MINGORA, Oct 30: Ten militants were killed and one was arrested in Sarsenai area of Swat district, said a press release issued by Swat media centre here on Thursday.
The release said that troops entered Sarsenai village and killed three militants during operation cleanup and arrested one other after exchange of fire. A large quantity of explosive and CDs was also recovered from few houses in the village.
In another incident, at Saidu Sharif airport two militants were injured during exchange of fire. The troops destroyed an ammunition dump of militants in Kotli area of Kabal where seven militants were also killed, the ISPR release added.
On the other hand local residents said that one person was killed and 12 others sustained injuries as helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant hideouts s in Kabal tehsil of Swat district on Thursday.
The helicopter gunships targeted Kotly Chow in Sarsenai area killing one person and injuring 12 others. The injured were identified as Mian Bad Shah, Bakht Zaman, Fazal Bacha, Afzal Shah, Sabir, Zarawar Khan, Haji Nawab, Qasim Khan, Akber Ali, Ms Khudeja, and Ms Salma. The injured were rushed to Saidu Sharif District Headquarters Hospital.
JIRGA MEMBERS FREED: Taliban set free 62 members of a jirga after holding successful talks with a delegation of elders of Gwalerai in restive Swat valley on Thursday.
The members of the jirga were arrested by Taliban militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah as reaction to the formation of Lashkar by elders of several villages in Upper Swat few days ago.
The meeting attended by more than 400 elders and local people at a government college in Gwalerai had asked the Taliban to vacate the area within three days.
The Taliban had made a failed attempt to kidnap Pir Samiullah, a spiritual leader of the area. Local residents had taken arms against Taliban and foiled their attempt to kidnap the spiritual leader.
The proposed Lashkar had also started patrolling in the area.
But about 80 jirga members who were going to attend a meeting was took hostage by the Taliban at gunpoint and killed twelve of them on the spot and two others the next day in reaction of the death of their seven men in Mandal Dag and Gwaleri areas.
The jirga after holding talks with Taliban succeeded to release their remaining 62 comrades.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told journalists from an undisclosed location by phone that the elders were released after the jirga bowed down to accept all their demands. He said that people of those areas would no more oppose Taliban as they had agreed to support them in future.
MEDICAL CAMP: A free medical was arranged for the people affected due to Swat operation at Grassi Ground in Mingora on Thursday.
The doctors examined more than 1700 children, women and men from the affected areas of Gut, Peuchar, Bandai, Sarsenai, Charbagh, Manglawor, Kanju, Matta and Khwazakhela. The patients were also provided with free medicines.
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