SWAT / BATKHELA, Nov 14 Fifteen militants, including three commanders, were killed and a huge cache of arms was seized in Swat and Malakand regions on Saturday.

According to ISPR spokesman Major Mushtaq Ahmed, troops killed three militants in mountainous areas of Mangaltan in Charbagh tehsil.

Major Mushtaq, who is the operational commander for Charbag, said five more militants were killed in hilly areas of the region.

The bodies were not retrieved till late in the evening.

Three key commanders Hazrat Osman, Osman Ali and Azizur Rehman were among the dead. Among others were Fazal Ghani, Fazal Wahab, Bakhtzada, Jehan Zeb and Tasir Khan.

Five shells of rockets, two handgrenades, 12 kalashnikovs, two pistols, one machinegun and several rounds of magazines were seized.

Security forces also killed two militants and arrested three suspects during search operation in Teligram area of Charbagh tehsil.

Five militants laid down arms and surrendered in Bara Bandai, Bodi Gram and Kabal.

Four more were arrested in Teligram and Gornari areas.

Malakand Levies officials said five militants were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Chinar Qalangai area, 17km from Batkhela, Malakand protected area early on Saturday morning.

Residents said they heard heavy gunfire and later saw five bodies being retrieved from the scene.

The bodies were taken to the Batkhela headquarters hospital and later buried at a nearby graveyard without identification.