MINGORA: A Pakistani army spokesman says security forces have killed six militants in clashes in Swat Valley, a former Taliban stronghold in the country's northwest.

Maj. Mushtaq Ahmed says militants attacked a security checkpoint near Shakar Dara Saturday night. Authorities imposed a curfew as they searched for the assailants. Clashes during the search operation killed six militants and wounded one soldier in the Matta area.

Despite a major military operation against the Taliban in Swat in 2009, sporadic violence still occurs, underscoring the fragility of the army's gains.