October 29, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 29, 1429

MINGORA, Oct 28: Artillery shelling by security forces killed two women and injured 21 other persons in Sirsenai area of Kabal tehsil in Swat, local residents said.

The security forces pounded positions of militants in different areas as search operation continued for second consecutive day in Sirsenai on Tuesday.

According to Swat media centre the security forces targeted suspected militant hideouts in Sirsenai and its adjoining areas with artillery from FC camp Kanju and Frontier House Kabal late on Monday night and Tuesday.

Local residents said that several houses came under fire killing two women and injuring 21 other persons including women and children. The injured were rushed to district headquarter hospital Saidu Sharif where condition of some was stated to be critical.

Curfew was imposed in Kanju, Kabal Khas, Kotli and Totano Bandai areas of Kabal on the second day forcing people to remain indoors. The educational institutions, markets and bazaar also remained closed.

The residents of Sirsenai, Tangchai and suburbs vacated their houses and began shifting to safer place due to the uncertain situation. The migrating people were facing hardships in their movement owing to curfew in the area.

MILITANTS INJURED: According to Swat media centre the younger brother and father of key Taliban commander Ibne Amin sustained serious injuries in a clash with the security forces in Sar Banda.

SCHOOL DESTROYED: The Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School Odigram was destroyed as unidentified miscreants detonated an improvised explosive device planted at the school in the night between Monday and Tuesday. The principal office, laboratory and several classrooms of the school were destroyed in the explosion. The attackers later set on fire the furniture and office record.

After the destruction of GGHS school on mains GT road near Mingora city the number of destroyed schools has reached 118.

KIDNAPPED: Four people including a banker were kidnapped by unidentified persons in Mingora on Tuesday.

Relatives of the kidnapped bank officer told police that Maskin Zada of Matta was kidnapped by unidentified persons at gunpoint.

In another incident of kidnapping unidentified persons whisked away three passers-by from the Banr road Mingora on Tuesday and shifted them to undisclosed location in a vehicle.