Pakistan's army kill 3 militants, arrest 18 in operations

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's security forces killed three militants and arrested 18 others in the continued search and clearance operations in northwest Pakistan's Swat and Malakand districts during the last 24 hours, the army said Tuesday.

The army said that 11 local persons, who were forced to get terrorist training, voluntarily surrendered to the security forcesat Bar Shaur near Chuprial and the army also recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in the operations at various areas in Swat.

More than 80 percent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) have vacated the 250 Host IDP Schools in Lower Dir and returned to their homes, according to a statement issued by the army.

On relief activities, the army said, 23 trucks of Atta have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand and so far 267,268 cash cards have been distributed amongst them.

Over 1,600 militants have been killed since Pakistani security forces launched the military operation against Taliban militants late April after the militants entered the Buner district from the neighboring Swat district.