Islamabad - Jet fighters strafed a stronghold of Islamist militants in Pakistan's north-western Swat district on Sunday, killing at least 30 insurgents including key commanders, officials said. Successive bombing runs were carried out on mountain hideouts in Swat's Matta sub-district where the rebels have fled after being flush out from the main towns of the valley.
"Around 30 militants were killed and several were injured when security forces engaged their positions in Barthana and Parao areas," military spokesman Major Murad Khan said.
The attack hit the headquarters and training facilities of the supporters of region's radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who last year launched an armed struggle to enforce self-defined Islamic laws in Swat.
"One of Fazlullah's senior aides, Commander Alamgir, was among those killed in the operation carried out at around 7:15 am (0115 GMT)," Khan said.
He said a large cache of arms and ammunition stored in the compounds was also destroyed in the attack.
Private news channels said local residents pulled out 23 bodies from the rubble and were searching for more. Some civilian casualties were also reported but could not be confirmed.
Swat, located 250 kilometres north-west of the capital Islamabad, was a popular tourist destination until early 2007 but became a virtual battlefield almost a year ago when government forces launched an offensive to quell the rebellion.
