Pakistan takes key areas from Taliban

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 24 (UPI) -- Officials in Pakistan say they have captured from Taliban forces important neighborhoods in Mingora, the largest city in the contested Swat Valley.

The New York Times reported that authorities also said that 10 Taliban militants have been killed clashes with the Pakistani army Sunday.

The newspaper reported that six troops were killed and six others were injured.

In all, 14 militants were arrested in Mingora in an offensive aimed at helping to gain control of the Swat Valley from the Taliban. The Times noted that until this offensive, the military fight against Taliban forces was confined to the mountainous countryside and villages of Swat.

"It's a very intense battle. Everyone is sniping one another," Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said.

The army Saturday wrested control of a power station from the Taliban and was working to restore electricity to Mingora, CNN reported Sunday.

Officials in Mingora estimate10,000 residents remain in what was a city of 200,000. How many civilians are trapped is unclear as thousands of residents throughout the region fled the fighting as Taliban militants occupied rooftops and took over whole neighborhoods, Abbas said.