ISLAMABAD Security forces entered Kalam on Sunday to take on the Taliban who are increasing their strength in the area.

Military spokesman Maj-General Athar Abbas told this correspondent that previously there were a few dozen Taliban in the area but they had been joined by militants fleeing Bahrain and Sakhra valley.

The Nazim of Kalam and local notables welcomed the troops and assured them of their full support to the operation.

Gen Abbas said 27 terrorists were killed in various areas of Swat and South Waziristan, while one officer, Lieutenant Haider Nazir, and eight soldiers laid down their lives and six were injured.

He said Mingora had been fully secured and relief activities had been undertaken. Security forces were patrolling important areas in the town, after having successfully completed a moping-up operation in Najigram village. One solider died in a mine explosion.

He said that security forces were making good progress in their search operation in Peochar valley.

In Dob Banda, troops found a huge cache of arms and ammunition and binoculars.

In Shangla, the security forces destroyed a terrorists' training facility in Yakh Tangi Kandao. Bodies of a number of militants were found in the facility.

The spokesman said that security forces had secured Mankial and were consolidating their positions in Bahrain, Kuz Laikot and Kedai. He said that the Taliban had set ablaze a girls school in Baidarra, about 3.5km north of Matta.

Gen Abbas said that two terrorists were killed at the Umer Zeb checkpost in Dir during an encounter with troops. Troops continued their operation in Kumbar bazaar and Kalpani.

About relief activities being carried out by the army, he said that 25 tons of rations had been despatched for distribution among 40,000 stranded people of Mingora. Another 25 tons had been distributed among IDPs.

He said that army medical teams in Chak Shehzad had so far treated 6,177 patients. Besides, he said, 1371 patients had been treated in a field hospital in Jalozai.