November 03, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 4, 1429

MINGORA, Nov 2: Two soldiers and eight militants were killed and several others were wounded in fierce clashes in Swat valley on Sunday.

According to an ISPR spokesman, security forces and militants loyal to radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah clashed in Matta and Kabal tehsils.

The spokesman said four militants were killed and four injured in Matta. Two security personnel were also killed.

Four militants were killed and two others injured in Kabal tehsil and one of their vehicles was destroyed, he said.

However, militants’ spokesman Muslim Khan denied the official claims and said that only two of their men had been killed. He claimed three soldiers had been killed in an attack on a vehicle.

Meanwhile, helicopter gunships pounded militant positions in Kabal and Dadara and troops attacked militants’ hideouts in Tootano Bandai with heavy artillery.

The military continued its search operation in Sarsenai area where curfew remained in force for the sixth day.

On Sunday, security forces razed over a dozen houses belonging to militants.

Troops also launched a house-to-house search to clear the area of militants.