MINGORA, Dec 5: Three suspected militants were killed in a clash with the security forces in Khwazakhela area of Swat on Sunday.

Sources said that the security forces launched a search operation in the Choorluk Sar area of Khwazakhela on receiving information that some militants were hiding there. During the operation, the militants opened fire on the security personnel which was retaliated.

In the counterattack, the security forces killed three militants identified as Azizullah, Ghufranullah and Zakria. The security forces also recovered weapons from possession of the dead militants.

Meanwhile, Charbagh police have registered a case against three accused who allegedly whipped a woman in the public under a Taliban ruling two years ago, sources said on Sunday.

The woman, Meraja Bibi, was given 30 lashes after the Taliban sentenced her to the punishment on charges of living at her in-laws' house in Dakorak area without her husband in Dec 2008. Police said that Meraja, wife of Niaz Ahmad Khan, was given 30 lashes by the Taliban.

Muslim Khan, the then spokesman for the Swat Taliban, had confirmed that the woman was given the lashes by boys after she was found to be living at her father-in-law's house 'against the Shariah law'.

The police registered a case against Essa Khan, Alamgir and Haroon Rashid, residents of Dakorak Cham, under terrorism related and other laws on the complaint of the woman.