Islamabad: Pakistani combat jets and helicopter gunships today destroyed a major Taliban militant base in the country's restive Swat valley in NWFP inflicting heavy casualties and marking a step up of pressure on the Islamic radicals.

The fighter aircraft targeted a militant stronghold in the Peochar, a village in the Swat valley which security officials claiming inflicting heavy casualties, but a count was not immediately available. Five civilians were also reported killed as a shell fired by security forces landed on their home.

Witnesses and Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the bombs dropped by the jets had caused casualties, but there was no information on the number of deaths. Khan said the bombing had also destroyed houses. Army officials said the fresh offensive is aimed at destroying militant bases in their strongholds in Matta area of Swat.

Local residents said the jets bombed militant positions in Peochar, Shawar and Landai Sar, which are considered strong bases of the Taliban. A shell fired by the security forces landed on a house and killed at least five members of the same family, the residents said.

A majority of the people in Matta sub-district have already fled their homes and only 10 per cent of the original population, considered to be militants or their supporters, were in the area when the forces launched their fresh operations.

Source : PTI