BANNU: Over 70 militants and a non-combatant were killed after security forces attacked Taliban positions with artillery and helicopter gunships in the Janikhel area of Bannu region on Wednesday.

After imposing a curfew in Bannu, security forces began shelling suspected positions of militants.

Official sources said that fierce fighting had left about 70 to 80 militants dead in Janikhel area of Bannu Frontier Region. The house of a local Taliban commander was destroyed in the fighting.

A shopkeeper was shot dead after he violated curfew while two other people were injured in the shelling.

Five vehicles, an explosives-laden vehicle rigged for suicide bombing among them, were destroyed.

Bannu DPO Iqbal Marwat said eight more suspected Taliban were arrested in different areas, taking the number of detained militants to 39. Two hand-grenades, two Kalashnikovs and several rounds of cartridges were seized from their possession.

The detained suspects were shifted to an undisclosed place for interrogation.

Military sources said that security forces had entered the Janikhel region and were confronting the Taliban.

According to a local TV channel, about 500 to 600 militants had rushed to the region to stop the advance of security forces.

The artillery shelling began on Tuesday morning after the expiry of the deadline for Janikhel and Bakakhel tribal leaders to hand over militants wanted by the government for kidnapping of Razmak Cadet College students. Several families from conflict-hit areas have taken refuge in a relief camp set up by the government. The Bannu DPO has requested all displaced people to avoid staying with relatives and rented houses.

Iftikhar A. Khan adds from Islamabad: Military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told Dawn on Wednesday that security forces engaged terrorists in Janikhel, Bannu, with heavy fire while clearance operation in Zaidi Akbar Khan was in progress.

Janikhel is a staging post for all militants operating in Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat and Peshawar. According to some sources, 600-800 terrorists had entered Janikhel from Miramshah and Razmak. Their remit was to carry out terrorist strikes across NWFP.

Gen Athar said that security forces had secured Shalkosar top and Shalkosar Kandao in Peochar valley after fierce fighting left 16 terrorists dead. Peochar is a stronghold of Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah and remained inaccessible to security forces till helicopter-borne troops landed there last month.

The ISPR chief said that 23 terrorists were killed in various areas of Malakand and Dir while two soldiers laid down their lives and 12 security personnel, two officers among them, were injured

The military spokesman said a Lashkar had moved closer to terrorists in Shatkas and Ghzigae villages in Dir and a heavy exchange of fire was taking place.

Fifty terrorists from Dir-Kohistan side who had come in support of terrorists in Shatkas were forced by the Lashkar to retreat.

Terrorists demolished two government schools in Sherjanay and Chinar Kot. They blew up a bridge in Kalpani village in Lal Qila, Maidan.

Gen Abbas said that in another development, security forces had secured Gat Khela and Jowar area in Buner.

He said that entire Buner, with the exception of passes linking Swat with Buner and the adjoining areas, had been secured.

The military spokesman said that terrorists who had fled from Sultanwas and Pir Baba were creating problems in small towns, but hoped that the entire area would soon be under the control of security forces.

Security forces conducted a search operation in Batkhela, Swat, and, during an exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed.

Security forces also recovered a cache of arms, ammunition, explosives and communication equipment. They launched a search operation to secure an area from the Kabal camp to Kabal village.