At least three police officers and 44 militants were killed in separate clashes and intelligence-based operations carried out across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the southwestern province of Balochistan over the past 24 hours.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the slain officers, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), died after militants launched an attack on a police checkpoint in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Wednesday, reports Anadolu.
He said security forces killed eight militants during the clash and successfully repelled the assault. Police said the fighting also left 18 police personnel injured.
Earlier, the Pakistan military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said security forces killed 24 militants during multiple operations in Khyber district near the Afghan border. It added that another eight militants were killed in separate operations in Nushki district of Balochistan.
According to the ISPR, security forces recovered and destroyed weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices during the operations.
It added that follow-up clearance operations were continuing to track down any remaining militants.
In a separate development, police said four suspected militants were killed during an ongoing operation in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Authorities said security forces were continuing search operations in the area.
Swat, one of Pakistan’s most popular tourist destinations, was once a stronghold of militant groups before a major military operation in 2009 restored government control over the valley.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks in recent years, which it says are linked to the Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Kabul has denied the allegations.
