July 03, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 28, 1429

MINGORA, July 2: Militant tribal leader Baitullah Mehsud asked the Swat Taliban to resume peace talks with the NWFP government after fresh clashes erupted between security forces and the local Taliban in the area on Wednesday.

Muslim Khan, spokesman for Maulana Fazlullah, told Dawn that Baitullah, who heads the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, had allowed them to resume the talks which were suspended last week.

The clashes took place in the Sra Banda area of Matta tehsil and both sides used heavy weapons.

Six women were injured when their houses in the Shor village came under mortar fire. They were taken to the tehsil headquarters hospital in Matta.

Armed men set on fire a police post, a mosque and a college in the Lalkoo area of the troubled tehsil, officials said.

Eyewitnesses said the clashes started in the afternoon continued till late night.

Swat DPO Waqif Khan confirmed the burning of mosque, police post and summer college of the Mardan Fazl-i-Haq College and said that Lalkoo area was under the control of the Taliban and police could not enter there.Sources said security forces were setting up new bunkers in the Kalakot area of Matta.