Up to 40 militants, five policemen killed in Pakistan (Roundup)

Feb 3, 2009, 13:43 GMT

Islamabad - Up to 40 Islamic militants and five security personnel were killed in overnight clashes between the rebels and government forces in Pakistan's restive Swat valley, officials and media reports said on Tuesday.

'Artillery and helicopter gunships targeted several locations of insurgents in Khwazakhela sub-district,' said a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

'According to the locals, between 30 and 40 insurgents were killed, while the number of those injured in the strikes is much higher,' he added.

The security forces were making advances in the militant stronghold of Khwazakhela following the overnight operation.

Swat, which is located around 100 kilometres north-west of Islamabad, was a popular tourist destination until 2007 when Islamic militants launched an armed campaign to enforce Taliban-style rule in the area.

Pakistan deployed thousands of soldiers to quell the rebellion. After nearly two years' fighting, which left hundreds of people dead, Islamist militants still control around 70 per cent of the district.

Separately, dozens of militants attacked a police station in Shamawazai area of the district and killed five policemen, the Urdu-language Geo news channel reported, without giving further details.

Meanwhile, a key supply route for NATO troops in Afghanistan was closed for hours after suspected Taliban militants destroyed a bridge in Pakistan's troubled tribal region.

The 30-metre iron bridge in Khyber Agency was blown up early in the morning.

'The road has been reopened after makeshift arrangements at the blast site,' a government official in the Khyber district said.

He said a team of engineers was in the area to assess the damage to the bridge, adding that it was not clear how long it would take to repair the original structure.

Insurgents have launched numerous attacks on trucks carrying food and military hardware for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan in recent months.

Hundreds of vehicles, including armoured Humvees for US forces, were destroyed on the outskirts of Peshawar city in December alone.

Almost two-thirds of US and NATO supplies bound for Afghanistan are hauled through the Khyber Pass, which had been briefly closed several times as security has deteriorated.

The US is considering securing new overland routes through central Asia to maintain a steady flow of supplies into Afghanistan, where Western forces are fighting Taliban militants since 2001.