Militants in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Monday announced ceasefire to remove dead bodies, according to local TV reports.

Maulana Shah Duran, deputy to militant leader Maulana Fazlulla, was quoted as saying that Federal Minister Amir Muqam contacted him and offered talks. He said that militants would not fire if security forces honored ceasefire.

As many as 24 militants were killed and 45 others, including two TV journalists, were injured Sunday in clashes between security forces and militants in Mingora and other parts of Swat district in the NWFP. More than 60 houses were also damaged as a result of exchange of fires and rockets.

Residents said that they did not hear any gunshots early Monday in Swat, a mountainous valley in northwestern Pakistan where the government is fighting against supporters of the militant pro- Taliban cleric, Maulana Fazlulla.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2007)