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Taliban kill rival cleric, eight followers in Swat

LAHORE: The Taliban killed an anti-Taliban cleric, Pir Samiullah, and his eight followers, a private TV channel reported on Sunday.

Soon after the killings, the Taliban took over Mandal Daag area in Swat from the followers of the cleric.

According to the channel, Samiullah and his followers were killed and several others injured in the Taliban attack that began late on Saturday.

The Taliban also torched the houses of Samiullah and 15 elders of his group, and kidnapped 25 of his followers.

The Taliban later launched a search operation and seized 50 rifles, a rocket launcher and others weapons from the dead cleric’s followers.

Meanwhile, another TV channel said police arrested Taliban commander Khalid Raheem near Hangu while he was returning from Peshawar. The channel quoted its sources as saying that the police barricaded the Hangu-Peshawar road after being tipped off about the commander.

Raheem is wanted by the police in several cases and is also said to be involved in the recent attacks on police stations and Frontier Constabulary checkposts, the channel said.

Two Taliban were killed and four others were injured in security forces’ operation in Bajaur Agency on Sunday, the NNI news agency reported.

It quoted official sources as saying the security forces targeted Taliban hideouts with artillery and mortars in various areas of Mamoond and Nawagai tehsils.

Meanwhile, Bannu police foiled a terrorist attack in the Cantonment area. The district police officer said unidentified men planted two 50kg bombs in pressure cookers under a bridge, which the bomb disposal squad defused. A grandson of Khyber Agency tribal elder Shamsher Afridi was killed near Jamrud when unidentified assailants fired at his car. daily times monitor/nni

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