Hunt for Taliban leaders stepped up: 27 miscreants killed in Swat and Waziristan

Security forces have entered Kalam after securing Mingora city where the situation is improving and relief activities are in full swing.
The security forces killed 27 more miscreants in Swat and South Waziristan during the last 24 hours as the forces stepped up their hunt for Taliban leaders, said the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Sunday a few hours after Secretary of Defence Syed Athar Ali told a security forum in Singapore that north west districts were almost clear of Taliban militants.
According to the ISPR nine military personnel including Lieutenant Haider Nazir embraced martyrdom, while six other security men were injured in the fighting against militants. The people of Kalam led by the area Nazim welcomed the security forces and assured their full support to the ongoing operation against miscreants. This is the second place after Swat valley's Bahrain town where the people assured their support to the security forces.
Some circles believe that the forces' advances during the last 48 hours have brightened the prospects of bringing the Swat battle to an end soon. However, a lot of things are yet to be done in the Fata, the real stronghold of the Taliban.
The situation in Mingora is improving after the security forces secured the city. The troops are patrolling important areas to comprehensively clean sweep them. The security forces have completed clean-up operation in Najigram village of Buner, where during an IED blast a soldier embraced martyrdom.
Security forces in cordon and search operation in Peochar valley have achieved a good progress. In a search operation the security forces recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition as well as binoculars from Dob Banda area.
The security forces destroyed a training facility of militants at Yakh Tangi Kandao, six kilometers South East of Shangla. Resultantly, a number of dead bodies of militants were found in the training compound.
The security forces have successfully secured Mankial, 14 kilometers north east of Bahrain and have further consolidated their positions in Bahrain, Kuz Laikot and Kedai. The militants set ablaze a government girls school at Baidarra, 3.5 km north of Matta.
The security forces killed two militants during an encounter at Umer Zeb checkpost in Dir. The cordon and search operation continued at Kumbar Bazaar and Kalpani.
Militants attacked security forces' checkpost at Spinkai Raghazai in South Waziristan agency. The attack was repulsed successfully, inflicting heavy casualties on militants.
Reportedly, 15 militants were killed, while three soldiers embraced martyrdom and six others were wounded. Four other soldiers have been reported missing in the attack by militants. Late Saturday night, 10 militants were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Teyarza Shakai tehsil of South Waziristan. The convoy was moving to Teyarza Fort, according to the ISPR. On the way they spotted two IEDs which were removed. While recovering third IED the convoy was fired upon from a compound at Hasora village. They responded promptly and killed 10 militants present in the compound.
One officer Lieutenant Haider Nazir chased the militants present in the compound and killed three of them, before embracing martyrdom along with three soldiers. Twenty-five ton ration has been despatched for distribution among 40,000 stranded people of Mingora. Separately, 25 ton ration for 40,000 dislocated people has been distributed among the IDPs. Medical teams at Chak Shehzad have so far treated 6,177 patients including men, women and children. Around 1,371 patients have been treated at field hospital Jalozai.