Civilians caught in Swat fighting

MINGORA - Amidst continuing operation by the security forces against the alleged militants, as many as 26 persons , mostly civilians and 10 Taliban, were killed and 27 others received injuries while some 32 houses were damaged on Thursday in different parts of Kabal and Matta Tehsils of Swat.
The security forces used gunship helicopters besides tanks in the operation.
In the locality of Kabal, a mortar shell hit a house of Misalur-Rahman where seven persons of a family were killed. The deceased were identified as Faseehulasan, Mohammad Tahir, Zainul Abideen, Mst Khalida, Abbas Khan and two sons of Abbas Khan. In another locality of Kabal Tehsil some 4 citizens were killed due to gunship helicopter firing. The four deceased were identified as Salih Rahman, his two children and a female of the same house.
Similarly in area of Shah Dehrai some 6 persons including 2 children were killed during the operation, whereas two children Sanaullah and Abdul Karim died in Shahangoti area who were injured on Wednesday.
The forces’ shell hit a house of a school teacher in Matta wounding Ahmad Saeed teacher and his wife.  Meanwhile, in the Shahangoti area of Tehsil Matta an unknown person killed a citizen, who was identified as Ali Rahman son of Gul Rahman from Mardan area. His dead body was recovered from an orchard.
The security forces have so far hit some 32 houses in village Deulay, New Colony, of Kabal Tehsil, and Bara Pamakhela, Sarbanda, Peochar areas of Matta. The injured were being treated locally because of the curfew in the area.
The sources said that 10 Taliban were amongst the killed in Matta area. The local Taliban set on fire another 3 girls schools in village Kishwara of Malamjabba, and thus so far some 65 schools have been razed or destroyed all over Swat. In Qandeel area of Maidan the Taliban fired at security post resulting in injuries to security personnel. The security forces  arrested a suspected Taliban in the area and shifted him somewhere for investigation.