5 militants killed, Nato fuel tanker destroyed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Five important militant commanders were killed in Maidan area of Pakistan’s trouble Swat Valley in the wee hours of Monday while the militants attacked an oil tanker, carrying fuel for Afghanistan-based Nato forces, on the outskirts of Peshawar also on Monday.According to media reports, Maulvi Muhammad Alim Binori and Maulana Shamsul Haq were killed in Madain area of Swat. The government sources said the security forces and the extremists exchanged fire at 4:20 a.m. on Monday, wherein five extremists were killed and three submachine guns, two pistols, three grenades and jihadi literature and CDs were recovered from the killed militants.Three other killed militants were identified as Muhammad Musafir, Sher Zaman and Abdullah.Muhammad Alim Binori was said to be an important extremist commander carrying head money of Rs20 million. He belonged to Shagla area and joined the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in 2007. Before joining the proscribed militant outfit, he used to teach at a primary school in Khwazakhela and lived for seven years in Fatahpur area of Khwazakhela. He was known as the Mullah Radio.Meanwhile, suspected militants armed with guns and rockets on Monday blew up a tanker carrying fuel through Pakistan for Nato troops based in neighbouring Afghanistan, police said. Several armed men lobbed a rocket and then opened fire on the supply convoy on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, senior police officer Imtiaz Ahmed said.The police officer said the attack triggered a huge fire and destroyed one tanker. Its driver escaped unhurt but his helper was wounded. In an exchange of fire that ensued and lasted up to an hour, the security forces killed a militant, the police officer said.Local militant groups regularly attack Nato supply vehicles on the main route through northwest Pakistan as about 80 per cent of supplies destined for the US and Nato troops in Afghanistan pass through the country.