Pakistani security forces backed by helicopters raid a militant hideout, killing 8 insurgents

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces backed by military helicopters raided a militant hideout in a former stronghold of insurgents in a restive province bordering Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing eight suspects, police said.

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

He provided no further details, and it was unclear whether there were any casualties among the security forces.

Authorities often carry out such operations against the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are an ally of the Afghan Taliban but are a separate group.

The TTP has stepped up its assaults in the region since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Government forces have also intensified their operations against the TTP and other insurgents, including separatist groups based in the restive southwestern Balochistan province.