ISLAMABAD, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani forces have killed four Taliban militants in the country's northwest Hangu district, the military said on Wednesday.
An army statement said security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on terrorist hideout in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the early morning.
"During the exchange of fire, four terrorists of proscribed TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) were killed," the statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said.
The terrorists were involved in a deadly suicide attack in a marketplace in Orakzai tribal district last year in November, which had killed over 30 people, the army said.
Earlier, officials in the region said forces conducted a raid on a house that militants were hiding there.
Pakistani Taliban commander, Muhammad Islam, was among the militants killed in the raid. He was wanted to the authorities for his involvement in several attacks.
Pakistani forces have cleared Hangu district from the Taliban militants in a series of operations, however, some militants are hiding in remote areas and they make attempts to sneak into urban areas for attacks.
Pakistan army is presently conducting intelligence-based operations as part of the major offensive "Radd-ul-Fasaad," reject discord in English.
The major operation was launched in 2017 to "eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country," which mainly targets sleeping cells of the militants, their supporters and financiers.
