Pakistani soldiers backed by helicopter gunships fought pitched battles on Friday with pro-Taliban militants in the north-western Swat Valley, where at least 80 militants including a top rebel commander have been killed since Thursday night.

Over 130 people, most of them militants, have died since the army launched an operation four days ago to evict armed followers of radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who have overrun most towns and villages in Swat before beginning a push into nearby Shangla district.

Troops closed several roads on Friday to prevent the movement of rebels as Cobra helicopter gunships hit militants concentrated near Kuza Banda, Najia Top and its foothills.

The gunships destroyed two militant bunkers near Saidu Sharif airport as well as bunkers nd two vehicles near Kabal sub-district, the army said.

The helicopters and artillery guns engaged militant positions near Alpuri, the headquarters of Shangla district, Kuza Banda and strategic heights along the Basham-Shangla road, killing 35 to 40 militants, it said.

Last night, shelling by army artillery guns killed 40 militants near Kuza Banda while five militants died in an attack by helicopter gunships that targeted a rebel ammunition dump in the same area, said military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad.

Militant commander Matiullah was killed in the shelling and his second-in-command, Muhammad Ali, was missing and feared dead, Arshad said.

Residents said Matiullah's funeral was led by Fazlullah, better known as FM Maulana for his sermons advocating jihad broadcast from an illegal radio station.

Fazlullah's spokesman Sirajuddin described Matiullah as a "strong mujahid (holy warrior)".

Two soldiers were injured when an army convoy was attacked by militants with grenades on the Mansehra-Batgram road on Friday morning.

The shelling in Kuza Banda was carried out in retaliation for an attack by militants on Saidu Sharif airport on Thursday in which two Frontier Constabulary personnel were killed and eight others injured.

The army said retreating militants had tried to take refuge in Kuza Banda village and threatened civilians there with dire consequences.

In Friday's operations, ground forces began moving towards Alpuri, the main town in Shangla district that was taken over by militants after the declaration of emergency, causing major embarrassment for President Pervez Musharraf [Images] and the army.

The troops began clearing militant positions in the mountains around Alpuri after consolidating their hold on areas from which rebels were pushed out on Thursday night.

Reports from Shangla said there was a "heavy presence" of militants occupying the heights along the Besham-Shangla road.

Twenty militants were killed in several actions on Thursday while 33 rebels were killed the day before.

The government has rushed thousands of troops to Swat and Shangla to quell the activities of militants loyal to Fazlullah, who wants the imposition of Shariat or Islamic law in the area.