15 soldiers found dead in Swat

Staff Report

MINGORA/KHAR/JAMRUD: At least 15 paramilitary soldiers and five Taliban were found dead in Kabal tehsil of Swat on Wednesday.

The Frontier Constabulary troops had gone missing after a fight with Taliban that broke out on Tuesday after a roadside bomb targeted a paramilitary convoy in the Sarsenai area.

“After the exchange of fire that lasted for several hours, more than 20 troops went missing but today we found 15 dead bodies at the site,” Noor Rehman, a police officer in Kabal, said. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said 15 FC personnel and five Taliban were killed in the fighting.

Swat police chief Dilawar Bangash said an injured Taliban commander – identified as Sardar Ali – had been arrested.

Unidentified men killed FC Hawaldar Nawab Shehzad in Kanjoo, and a police constable was abducted from Char Bazaar in Charbagh tehsil.

In Bajaur, security forces backed by helicopter gunships and jet fighters targeted suspected Taliban hideouts in the Nawagai and Mamond tehsils killing more than 12 Taliban and injuring 10.

Several Taliban dens in the Charmang, Chinar and Zorbandar areas of the agency were destroyed, FC men told Daily Times.

A Salarzai tribal militia burned 12 houses on Wednesday that they said belonged to Taliban commanders. The houses were located in the Banda and Ghundai areas of Salarzai tehsil.

Two Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) men were killed in a clash with security forces in Khyber Agency on Wednesday, when they were stopped at the BC-1 checkpoint while on their way from Jamrud to Bara tehsil.

Two children passing by were also killed in the crossfire.

Officials also said troops arrested six LI men including key Mangal Bagh commander Mullah Abdur Rahim, in a raid on the house of Jamrud-based trader Haji Aqil Khan.

Jamrud political official Fida Bangash said he had warned Haji Aqil against inviting LI men to Jamrud.

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