MINGORA, Nov 8: Eight villagers were killed and several others injured when mortar shells hit houses in Kherari village of Matta tehsil on Saturday.

Residents said that security forces pounded suspected locations after militants disguised in FC uniform attacked a convoy near Shangwatai area, leaving three personnel dead and four others wounded.

About 10 militants were also killed in the clash, the ISPR media centre said.

The security forces used mortar and artillery to target the militants’ positions.

Several shells hit houses in the Kherari village, killing at least eight people and injuring many others.

The local people organised a demonstration outside the Matta police station to protest against indiscriminate mortar shelling.

Matta DSP Shah Nazar confirmed that eight villagers had been killed in the shelling.

The security forces cordoned off Kabal village and asked the residents to leave the area to avoid collateral damage.

During an exchange of firing, two more militants were killed.

Suspected hideouts in Shamozai area were also shelled from the Chakdarra cantonment, about 12 kilometers from the embattled zone.

In another incident, three militants were killed and one soldier was injured in an exchange of fire in the Wanai area of Matta.

Helicopter gunships pounded militants’ positions and destroyed a compound of Dr Ehsan in Kabal, which was being already used as planning centre by the militants. The compound also housed the Kabal bench of a Shariat Court, the ISPR said.

The security forces asked the residents of Kabal Khas, Zora and Akhund Kallay to leave the area and move to the camp set up in the Belogram area, so that a full-scale operation could be launched against the militants.

Pamphlets were also dropped from an aircraft in Kabal asking the people to leave their houses, triggering an exodus from various localities.

Announcements were made from mosques, urging the people to comply with the orders.

The pamphlets said that a handful of militants were using people as shield to attack the security forces.