3 Pakistani security personnel killed in raid on a militant hideout

Security personnel examine the site of a blast in Peshawar district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on March 10, 2024. (AFP/File)

• Pakistan police say insurgents were “Khawarij,” a term government uses for Pakistani Taliban
• Last week Pakistani forces killed 71 militants attempting to enter through Afghanistan, says military

PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces overnight raided a militant hideout in northwest Pakistan, sparking a shootout in which three officers and one suspect were killed, police said Thursday.

The raid occurred in Bannu, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police Arshad Khan said. Other insurgents fled the scene. Khan said the insurgents were “Khwarij” — a phrase the government uses for the Pakistani Taliban.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, have launched some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani law enforcers and civilians since 2007. 

Last week, Pakistani security forces killed 71 militants when they attempted to cross into the country from Afghanistan, according to the military.