MINGORA: Security forces claim all key Taliban strongholds in the district have been secured and local police forces have resumed patrols in the major cities and towns of the Swat valley.

A curfew is still in effect throughout the district, though police were seen patrolling in major urban areas.

Security forces are still engaging militants in other parts of the district however, with local sources reporting severe clashes in Shah Dheri on Wednesday. Shah Dheri is believed to be a key stronghold of Fazlullah and other key militant leaders. Many militant leaders are said to have fled to nearby mountains to escape from security forces, though some diehard supporters are continuing to battle security forces.

The armed forces’ Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) says that Shah Dheri has been cleared of militants however, and that security forces have linked up with other forces in the Langar area. Security forces searched suspected militant locations in Dangram, Kukarai Jambil and Meragai while consolidating their positions.

Five soldiers were injured in operation Rah-i-rast in a firefight with militants in Deolai village. An officer was also injured in the crossfire in Matta, where a search operation resulted in the capture of three suspected militants.

Separately, security forces cleared the area around Dewana Baba and the route from Shangla to Buner. Four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were neutralised during the operation and four houses belonging to suspected terrorists were demolished. —DawnNews