MINGORA, Nov 10: Seven militants were killed and several others wounded while two bridges were blown up in different areas of the restive Swat valley on Monday.

According to a press release issued by the ISPR’s Media Information Centre in Swat, the seven militants were killed and several others injured in exchange of fire with security forces in various parts of the Swat district.

Five miscreants, including a local commander, were killed in Moragai and Shalkho Sar areas of the Matta tehsil and two others were killed in Kabal, the press release said.

It further said that a huge cache of weapons stored by militants at their hideouts was also destroyed during the attacks.

The security forces pounded militants’ locations with artillery shelling in upper areas of Matta, Kabal and Charbagh, injuring eight people. Six people were injured in Chuprial and two in Nasrat areas.

The people of the Charbagh tehsil have started leaving the area for safe places in fear of possible military operation. They feared that the continued search operation in Kabal might be extended to Charbagh.

Military operation commander Brig Haroon has asked militants in the Kabal tehsil to lay down their weapons and surrender to the security forces, otherwise the operation would continue till their elimination.

The security forces and police have started joint patrol in the Mingora bazaar to keep check on militants and maintain law and order.

The Shamozi link bridge in the Barikot tehsil and the Ghari Pul in Manglawar were blown up early Monday, cutting Shamozai and Ghari areas from the rest of the Swat district.

The ISPR press release said army engineers in collaboration with the National Highway Authority were working round-the-clock to repair the bridges and the work was likely to be completed in a few days.

Meanwhile, operation commander, Swat, Brig Haroon, has ordered investigation into the killing of a local journalist, Qari Mohammad Shoaib.

Mr Shoaib was killed by security forces on Nov 8 in the Mingora bazaar on suspicion that he might be a suicide bomber.

The journalists’ action committee has received a cheque of Rs200,000 from military officials on behalf of his widows.

Swat journalists continued their protest against the killing of Mr Shoaib. Journalist organisations throughout the Malakand region, including Dir, Shangla, Buner and Batkhela, held protest demonstrations and called upon the authorities to hold an independent inquiry into the matter. The protesters also demanded compensation for the bereaved family.