Pakistan army kill 8 militants, arrest 13 in operations

Pakistan's security forces killed eight militants and arrested 13 others in the continued search and clearance operations in northwest Pakistan's Swat and Malak and districts during the last 24 hours, the army said Friday.

The army said in a daily update that the security forces killed six militants during the operation at Banjot and Kasona near Malamjaba in Swat and another 12 voluntarily surrendered themselves in various areas of Swat.

Also in Swat, the security forces destroyed eight tunnels used by militants during a search operation at Mangaltan, said the army.

In North Waziristan tribal agency, a blast took place near a security forces check post at Mana, killing one soldier and wounding three others. In a retaliatory fire, two Uzbek militants were killed, said the statement.

Militants also fired 24 rockets at Razmak and Kabutar check posts of security forces, resultantly injuring four soldiers, it said.

In Darra Adam Khel, the security forces apprehended a disabled civilian suicide bomber at a security forces check post, it added.

Nearly 2,000 militants have been killed since Pakistani security forces launched the military operation against Taliban militants late April after militants in early April entered the Buner district from the neighboring Swat district and refused to vacate the area despite their pledge to do so.