At least 39 militants killed in Pakistan's Swat
8 hours ago

ISLAMABAD (AFP) — At least 39 Taliban militants and 10 soldiers were killed in fierce fighting in northwest Pakistan's Swat valley, the military said Friday.

"During last 24 hours, 39 terrorists were killed in various areas of Malakand. At the same time, 10 soldiers embraced shahadat (martyrdom) and 24 were injured," it said in a statement.

Malakand region includes Swat, Dir and Buner districts where the military has launched operations since April 26 against Taliban militants.

The death tolls provided could not be verified independently.

The military said troops had found an area covered with fresh soil at Shalho Sar in restive Peochar valley where "apparently some dead bodies of terrorists are buried there."

It gave no details about the suspected mass grave saying "details could not be ascertained due to unhygienic condition/bad smell."

The casualties occurred during intense fighting at the Taliban strongholds of Chuprial and Kabal in Swat valley, it said.

So far 1,429 militants and 126 soldiers have been killed in military operations launched in Lower Dir on April 26, Buner on April 28 and in Swat on May 8.

Taliban-linked attacks have killed more than 1,960 people in Pakistan since July 2007.

On Friday two back-to-back suicide attacks on mosques in the eastern city of Lahore and northwestern garrison town of Nowshera killed six people including a vocal anti-Taliban cleric Sarfraz Naeemi, officials said.

Copyright © 2009 AFP.