ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Pakistani military forces killed three suspected militants during operations Tuesday in the volatile Swat Valley near the border with Afghanistan.
Military forces responded to an attack on their patrol in the Banjer area of the Swat Valley in Pakistan's North-West Frontier province, killing three suspected militants, Pakistan's News International reports.
Security forces in response enacted a curfew in the area and authorities said "several" suspected insurgents were arrested during subsequent raids.
Pakistani forces launched a major military operation in the tribal belts along the border with Afghanistan in October. Militants with the Taliban and other insurgent groups responded with several high-profile attacks throughout the country.
Meanwhile, security forces in the nearby Mohmand region of the province said most of the area was cleared of militants, leaving authorities free to open schools and government buildings.
Regional commanders said as much as 80 percent of the region was cleared.
