Troops shell militants in Swat

Security forces Monday fired artillery shells at a stronghold of a pro-Taliban cleric in Swat, where clashes last week killed scores of people, officials said. The forces, based in Matta town in the scenic Swat Valley, began shelling nearby Pir Killy village at midday and it continued intermittently, a security official said.
Helicopters also flew overhead but they did not use any weapons, residents said and no casualties have been reported. There was no retaliation from the militants in Pir Killy, which is considered a stronghold of supporters of religious leader Maulana Fazlullah, who has been demanding Islamic Sharia law in the area.
"Militants do not possess long-range weapons - that is why there is no retaliation," a security official said, requesting anonymity. About 2,500 troops moved into Swat late last month to counter Fazlullah.