MINGORA, Dec 3: Security forces claimed on Monday to have found a huge arms cache in a school in Swat. They also said that a militant commander had been arrested in Shangla district.

Meanwhile, militants are reported to have vacated all major areas, including the town of Matta, in the Swat valley.

Local people said security forces had advanced up to the Bariam bridge, the entry point to the Matta tehsil and established a checkpoint manned by the Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary and police.

According to an official, Frontier Corps personnel with the support of local people raided the Government Girls Middle School and a shop in Ningwalai area in the morning and recovered more than 150 mortar shells, five mortar guns, three suicide bombing jackets, some anti-aircraft shells, improvised explosive devices and four drums, each of 200 gallons capacity, full of explosive substances.

He said the militants had been using the school as their headquarters in the area and left the ammunition while fleeing.

The ISPR said the Frontier Constabulary had arrested nine suspected militants from the Ayub bridge checkpoint in Kanju on Monday.

During a visit to Matta town, this correspondent saw the posts which had been abandoned, with no signs of militants anywhere in the area. However, security forces are yet to enter the town, although they have secured the area up to the Bariam bridge and were patrolling the area between Kanjo and the bridge.

Displaced people are returning to the areas secured by the troops, including Bara Banda, Kuza Banda and Imam Dehri, the native village of Maulana Fazlullah.

It has been reported that the militant commander arrested in Shangla district was Fazlullah’s senior lieutenant. He has been identified as Liaquat, hailing from Khawzakhela.

There were conflicting reports about the Maulana himself with some people claiming that he was hiding in Khwazakhela and others suggesting that he had fled to Gatt Puchaar, a mountainous area near the boundary with Dir district.

Most of the militants are also reported to have retreated to Gatt Puchaar, an area with a difficult terrain, from where they can easily cross over to Dir.

Witnesses said that troops were advancing from the Shangla district towards Khwazakhela, about 27kms from Mingora on the Kalam Road, which also has been vacated by the militants.

Army helicopters on Monday dropped chocolates and leaflets with messages for inhabitants of the valley.

One leaflet gives reasons for launching the operation in Swat. It says that people and their businesses had been unsafe with anti-state elements targeting CD, barber and tailor shops, and police having become ineffective.

The leaflet claimed that the army had entered Swat to help the ordinary people and restore peace.

Another leaflet urges people to rise against militants and join hands with the army in restoring peace.

The administration announced that curfew would be relaxed from 7am till 6pm in Mingora up to Chakdara area, and in the rest of the district from 12 noon till 5pm.

The government media centre in Mingora said on Sunday night that suspected locations of militants in Totano Bandai and west of Puchaar had been pounded with artillery fire.

It also said that helicopter gunships had destroyed an ammunition dump of the militants in Kuz Shaur area.