Islamabad: Pakistan forces today faced "stiff resistance" while advancing towards a key Taliban stronghold in Swat valley where they killed at least 21 rebels, even as the Army rescued 80 students and staff members of a cadet college kidnapped by the militants in the restive tribal belt.
Troops continued their push towards the Taliban stronghold of Charbagh after clearing Jangle Tekri and the area up to Sara China. They also secured Alam Gunj, Waliabad and Gulibagh located north of Charbagh, the military said.
One soldier was killed and four were injured due to the "stiff resistance" put up by the militants, the military said.
Fourteen militants were killed and 18 apprehended during the operations in Charbagh and Alam Gunj areas. Two more were killed in exchange of fire when troops launched an operation at Kot and cleared Khairabad and Sarsanai near Charbagh.
In nearby Shangla district, five militants and two soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire. Two soldiers were also injured in the same clash.
The troops began their push towards Charbagh after capturing Mingora, the main city of Swat district, last week. The military said normalcy was returning to Mingora and efforts were underway for restoring services in the city.
Meanwhile, a hostage drama in the restive Waziristan tribal region ended after Army rescued 71 students and nine staff members of the Razmak Cadet College following a gun battle with the Taliban at Ghariom.
The kidnapped students were being escorted by militants in four to five cars and the Taliban intended to take them to South Waziristan, chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told reporters.
All the cadets and staff members are "safe and sound", he added.
Security forces also carried out search and destroy operations in Mandi Banda area of Peochar, where local Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah is believed to be hiding with his close aides, and recovered some arms and ammunition.
Senior officials today told parliament's standing committee on defence that 1,244 militants and 89 troops were killed after security forces launched operations against the Taliban in Malakand division of North West Frontier Province last month.
Additional Defence Secretary Maj Gen Mir Hyder Ali Khan and Interior Secretary Kamal Shah briefed the panel on operations against the militants and the government's counter-terrorism efforts.
Shah said most hideouts of Maulana Fazlullah had been destroyed. The officials also said 26 militant commanders had been killed so far in Malakand.
Meanwhile, NWFP Information Minister Main Ifitkhar Hussain said that the Taliban leadership must be eliminated to prevent the militants from regrouping in Swat in future. He said targeting the top militant leadership would also demoralise the Taliban.
The NWFP government was confident that the security forces would eliminate all militants in Swat. "The provincial government wants the complete elimination of the militants," he said.
Provincial authorities have also started rebuilding the civil infrastructure in Mingora so that people displaced by the fighting would not face difficulties when they returned to their homes.
"Work on restoration of electricity and the telephone exchange is in progress while gas facility has been restored in Mingora," said NWFP Environment and Forests Minister Wajid Ali Khan.
Despite limited resources, he said the NWFP government is striving to reconstruct and repair damaged infrastructure in Swat, including schools, colleges, roads, bridges and hospitals. Vocational and technical institutes are being reconstructed to create job opportunities for the youth, he said.
Nearly three million people were displaced by the fighting in Buner, Dir and Swat districts of the NWFP. Many of them are currently living in relief camps.
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