Pakistani army kills 27 terrorists, arrests 10 suspects

ISLAMABAD, July 22 -- Pakistani security forces

killed 27 terrorists and arrested 10 suspects while conducting search and

clearance operations in northwestern Pakistan's Swat and Malakand districts

during the last 24 hours, the army said in a daily press release Wednesday.

The security forces conducted operations in different

areas of Swat, Dir and Buner, also apprehending some weapons and ammunition, the

army said.

During exchange of fire between security forces and

militants in Buner, it said, two soldiers were injured.

The security forces continued relief activities, as

206,118 cash cards have been distributed amongst the internally displaced

persons (IDPs) of Malakand in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

By Wednesday, more than half of the millions of the

IDPs, due to the army operations against Taliban in the Pakistan's northwest,

have been repatriated to their hometowns from various relief camps.

A provincial minister of NWFP has said that the

complete return of the IDPs is expected within a month.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said

around 500 hardcore militants had been arrested so far from Swat, 90 percent of

whom were Afghan nationals, local newspaper reported.

Over 1,600 militants have been killed since Pakistani

security forces launched the military operation against Taliban militants late

April after militants in early April entered the Buner district from the

neighboring Swat and refused to vacate the area despite their pledge to do so.