Islamabad (PTI): At least 12 militants were arrested Friday by security forces in northwest Pakistan's troubled Swat valley, where an illegal radio station run by a radical cleric resumed broadcasts after remaining off the air for nearly three months.

The 12 militants, including a top commander, were arrested during a search operation by security forces in the Kabal and Matta sub-districts of Swat, reports reaching here said.

Illegal radio equipment and several fake passports were also seized from the militants.

Army officials said the radio equipment was being used to broadcast messages to militant commander Maulana Fazlullah, whose illegal radio station also resumed broadcasts after a gap of nearly three months.

"The FM radio station has been broadcasting Fazlullah's speeches for the past three days but it has not yet been fully active," a government official told BBC seeking anonymity.

The official said the government had improved the signal strength of the state-run Swat Radio to disrupt and jam the frequency of Fazlullah's broadcasts.