Five militants and a soldier killed in security operation in northwestern Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 8 (KUNA) -- The Pakistani military announced on Saturday the killing of five militants and a soldier during a security operation based on intelligence in the Razmak area of North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northwestern Pakistan. The military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) office said in a statement that security forces carried out the operation after receiving information about the presence of militants in the area. The clashes resulted in the deaths of five militants, while an officer leading the participating force was killed during the exchange of fire. The statement added that weapons and ammunition were seized from the militants, and that forces continued search operations to track down any other elements in the area, reaffirming the continuation of counter-terrorism operations. On his part, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the success of the operation, expressed condolences to the soldier’s family, and reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing efforts to eradicate terrorism in the country. The operation comes two days after an attack targeted a security checkpoint in the Hangu area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which killed nine police officers and injured 28 others, while 15 militants were killed during the clashes. (End) S.B.K / M.N.F