Islamabad  - The Pakistani army said Monday it had killed 14 militants during the last 24 hours in the north-western valley of Swat, where troops have been pushing an offensive against the Taliban for last seven weeks.

Security forces attacked "terrorists hideouts" in the Tiligram area and recovered a "large quantity of ammunition and explosives, four IEDs, one 14.5-inch gun barrel and
26 detonators," a military statement said, adding that 14 rebels died in the action.

Seperately, the security forces seized 50 mules transporting arms and ammunition, medicine and rations for Taliban during a search operation in Banjut and arrested "a few terrorists."

Two soldiers were injured in two roadside bombings and an exchange of fire with the militants elsewhere in the district.

The claims could not be confirmed independently because of the military restrictions on media in the conflicts zone.

The operation in Swat was launched in late April when Islamist militants exploited a peace deal to expand their influence to the neighbouring districts. More than 1,600 rebels have so far been eliminated while over 100 security personnel have died.

As the military regains control over much of the region, some of the 1.9 million displaced people have started to return to their homes, though the Taliban continue low-intensity insurgency.

With the Swat operation nearing an end, the government troops are preparing an offensive in the tribal region that borders Afghanistan, mainly to hunt down Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Mehsud is blamed for scores of attacks against government and civil targets. He carries a 5-million-US-dollar bounty on his head as a key al-Qaeda facilitator.(dpa)