Islamabad - At least 10 Taliban militants and one civilian were killed Thursday as Pakistani army helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militant positions in the country's north-western Swat valley, officials said.

"Our forces targeted insurgent locations in Sarsinai and Kotlai villages of Kabal sub-district," said an senior army official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Ten miscreants were killed and one was injured. We destroyed their one weapons depot but there was no loss on our side," he added.

Local people in the area of the clash said two mortar rounds missed their targets and hit a residential area in Kabal. One civilian was killed and 10 injured.

Some 40,000 government troops have been fighting the followers of radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah since 2007, when he launched an armed campaign to enforce the rule of the Islamist extremist Taliban in the region.

The region was a popular tourist destination before the violence broke out. (dpa)