August 14, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 11, 1429

MINGORA, Aug 13: Three persons were drowned in River Swat while a child was killed and 10 other were injured when security forces pounded suspected hideouts of militants after unidentified persons attacked a checkpost here at Shah Dehri in small hours on Wednesday.

Militants blew up a bridge at Allahabad area, cutting off the adjoining Shangla district and some areas of Northern Swat Valley including the tourist resorts of Kalam, Bahrain and Madyan from Mingora.

The bridge, around 15 km north of here, was a vital link between Kalam and Mingora and the inhabitants of those areas were left completely cut off from rest of the towns of Swat.

The security forces had announced relaxation in curfew from 8am till 8pm but all of a sudden curfew was imposed at around 2 pm in Kabal and Matta sub-divisions resulting in panic and chaos in these areas.

Residents of the areas said that scores of vehicles stuck up at different points due to the unannounced curfew. They added that three persons at Ayub Bridge tried to cross River Swat to avoid the traffic jam, but they were swept away by the river water.

Meanwhile, unidentified persons attacked a security checkpost at Shah Dehri, injuring a security personnel identified as Shehzad. Following the attack the security forces started artillery shelling which resulted in killing of a five-year-old boy, Asghar Ali.