"Both bodies are badly mutilated. One had his torso blown up, while the other lost his limbs," said deputy inspector general of police Attaullah Wazir, adding that the men were believed to be local militants.
Until recently, the Swat valley, a scenic region popular with tourists, has had little history of Islamist militancy. But intelligence officials say they have information that more militants are hiding out in the mountains of Swat to escape security forces combing neighbouring tribal areas. In January, security forces arrested a militant who was wanted for his role in a failed plot to kill President Pervez Musharraf in 2002. The previous month, police shot dead two suspects in a gunbattle in the Swat region.