MINGORA: Ten more people, including the brother of Pir Saifur Rehman and a militant, were killed and several others injured in clashes between the local people and the Taliban in Matta Tehsil of the restive Swat Valley on Saturday. The security forces also continued to pound hideouts of the militants in Kabal Tehsil.

Sources said the Taliban fighters also kidnapped 20 more people and shifted them to an undisclosed location.

Spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Swat chapter, Muslim Khan, said they had killed over 30 people and kidnapped several others. "We have arrested several people, impounded their two vehicles and shifted them to an unknown place," he said.

The local people clashed with the Taliban in Mandal Dag area of the Matta Tehsil when the militants besieged the area for picking up a 'Pir' identified as Saifur Rehman. A total of 20 local people were killed and several others injured in the two-day fighting.

According to the ISPR, fierce clashes erupted between the local people and the militants in Tehsil Matta, in which nine militants and 15 local people were killed and several others injured from both sides.

The security forces extended support to the local Lashkar in its bid to dislodge the militants from their strongholds in Matta.

The operation against the militants, entrenched in fortified bunkers and tunnels in Koza Bandai, has entered a decisive stage. "The Army gunship helicopters and artillery guns are targeting militants' positions and have inflicted heavy casualties on them. The militants, who were involved in looting in Koza Bandai, have been encircled by the ground troops, who have blocked all their escape routes with the aim to eliminate them," an ISPR statement said.

Meanwhile, two persons, identified as Bakht Azim of Nangolai area and Muhammad Shah of Biha, Matta Tehsil, were seriously injured when shells hit their houses. Both the injured were rushed to the Saidu Sharif Hospital.

In another development, the local people staged a protest against the ongoing shelling, continuous curfew, power suspension and shortage of edibles and other essential commodities. They chanted slogans against the government and demanded lifting of curfew and provision of edibles.

The ISPR also said that efforts were being made to restore electricity to Bara Bandai and its adjoining areas. Curfew was relaxed from 8 am to 8 pm in Mingora. Shops and banks remained opened and people were busy in their Ramazan shopping.