Separately, militants killed two members of another anti-Taliban militia in the Sar Colony area in the restive Swat valley early on Thursday.

The former tourist destination has been reeling under Taliban violence since early 2007 when militants loyal to radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah began an armed struggle to enforce Islamic sharia law in the valley, located 140 km from the capital Islamabad.

Pakistani security forces launched a blistering offensive this April in Swat and three of its bordering districts after Fazlullah's men refused to disarm even after the government imposed sharia following a peace agreement.

Though the authorities have announced that the military now controls most of the region, regular clashes have been taking place between soldiers and the Taliban remnants.

On Thursday, troops shot dead at least eight insurgents after their convoy was ambushed near Dargai town in Malakand district adjoining Swat. Two soldiers were wounded during the exchange of fire, the military said in a statement.