October 28, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 28, 1429

MINGORA, Oct 27: A paramilitary soldier, 10 militants and two civilians were killed in clashes on Monday while Taliban claimed executing two more hostages.

Taliban are holding 80 jirga members hostage since Sunday when they claimed executing 12 important elders.

Also on Monday, security force launched a search operation in the Sarsenai area of Kabal tehsil in Swat. An indefinite curfew was imposed in the area.

According to the military’s media centre, scores of militants were injured and three of them were arrested.

Security forces, it is learnt, had cordoned off the area and dropped pamphlets by helicopters, asking local people to vacate their houses. About 15,000 people have already left the area.

Meanwhile, helicopter gunships destroyed an ammunition dump inside the compound of ‘commander’ Ayub alias Abdali in the Aghal Parao area of tehsil Matta, the military’s press release said.

Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed that four security personnel had been killed in Matta and Kabal tehsils.

The claim was rejected by the ISPR.

A paramilitary soldier Qadir Khan was killed and Tahir Shah sustained injuries when militants attacked a security check post in Totano Bandai. Security forces fired mortar shells at militants’ positions.

Taliban claimed they had publicly executed two hostages – Pervez, son of Bahadur Shah, and Jamal, son of Akbar Khan, -- in Anmal Bazaar.

When people in Mandal Dag and Gwalerai heard their tribal elders had been detained by Taliban, they fought militants, killing seven of them.

Elsewhere in the area, a body was found from Kandaro in Matta tehsil. Another body was found by police and was shifted to Saidu Sharif. Later, police said that the man’s name was Raza Khan of Balogram who had been kidnapped from Mingora city a few days ago.