MINGORA, Feb 9: Three persons were killed and a government-run school and a basic health centre were torched in restive Swat valley on Monday.

A primary school for boys and a basic health centre (BHU) were set on fire by unidentified persons early on Monday morning. The militants planted explosive at both the buildings which went off with a bang. The record and furniture of the school and BHU were reduced to ashes.

Militants also blew up a link bridge in Kla Dher area on Takhtaband Bypass road disrupting vehicular traffic.

Meanwhile, fierce clashes between the security forces and Taliban militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah were continued on Bypass road Takhtaband and Nawi Kalley on the outskirts of Mingora city. Both sides used heavy and light weapons for about five hours against each other.

The helicopter gunships also shelled the area with some intervals. The copters also targeted militant positions in Charbagh tehsil. The security forces also fired mortar shells and artillery on militant hideouts in upper villages of Kabal and Matta tehsils.

In Chupryal area of tehsil Matta, a person identified as Fazlullah was killed and his two children were injured when a mortar shell hit his house.

In Takhtaband, 20-year-old Sanaullah son of Hishtamand were killed while three others were injured in security forces firing for violating curfew.

Another person was also injured by troops firing in Gwolarai area of Matta while Sajjad was injured in mortar shelling in Kot, Charbagh. According to Swat Media Centre curfew was relaxed from 3:30pm to 10pm in Mingora city. The curfew would remain imposed in other areas of the district.