Islamabad - Pakistani security forces killed nine Taliban fighters during weekend operations in the troubled Swat valley, the military said on Sunday. Six militants were killed in a clash with troops and police on Sunday in Banjir, a mountain village located on the boundary between Swat and its neighbouring district of Buner.
The casualties included three militant commanders, a military spokesman in the troubled region said, adding that a soldier was wounded in the fighting.
Separately, three "terrorists" were killed in a joint search operation conducted by the army and pro-government militiamen in the Mora area near Swat's Najigram village, the military said in a statement on Sunday. Sixteen suspects were also rounded up.
Pakistani troops are fighting Taliban remnants in Swat and other nearby areas after reportedly killing more than 2,000 insurgents in a sustained offensive launched late April.
Human rights organizations have accused the government forces of committing torture and extra-judicial killings, a charge rejected by the military.
A 10-minute video clip, apparently shot in Swat using a cellphone, was recently uploaded on the website YouTube, showing men in army combat uniform kicking and flogging suspects being interrogated by an officer.
Major General Attar Abbas, military's chief spokesmen, said authorities were holding an investigation and, if proven, action would be taken against the responsible security personnel.
The region holds numerous al-Qaeda and Taliban sanctuaries, which are used by militants to carry out attacks on the Western forces operating in Afghanistan.
