Three Pakistani soldiers and eight militants were killed in a raid on an insurgent hideout

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Three soldiers and eight militants were killed after Pakistani security forces backed by military helicopters stormed a hideout in a former insurgent stronghold in a restive province bordering Afghanistan on Wednesday, police said.

A local militant commander was believed to be among those killed in the operation in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police officer Zahid Ullah said.

The military said a major was among the soldiers “martyred” during the intelligence-backed operation, adding that its forces would pursue other militants in the area “to eradicate the threat of terrorism.”

Authorities often carry out such operations against the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.

The TTP – an ally of the Afghan Taliban despite being a separate group – has increased its attacks in the region since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Government forces have also stepped up operations against separatist groups in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan.