Pakistani security forces kill 9 militants in a raid in the restive northwest near Afghanistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces killed nine insurgents in a shootout overnight in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the volatile northwestern region that borders Afghanistan, the military said Thursday.

Troops also seized weapons and ammunition from the insurgents’ hideout after the shootout in Bajur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The military’s statement provided no details about the slain militants, including their affiliation.

However, such operations often target the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. Bajur was a base for the militants until many were killed or forced out in multiple operations by security forces.

The TTP are a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban takeover next door has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban who have stepped up attacks on Pakistani forces.