In an army operation, 1 soldier and 4 militants were killed

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An army operation in Pakistan’s northwest targeting militants triggered a firefight that left a soldier and four fighters dead, the army’s media wing said Sunday.

The latest development comes after Pakistani Taliban detainees overpowered the guards at a counterterrorism center in the northwest. They took police weapons, held hostages, and seized control of the facility.

The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, have waged an insurgency over the past 15 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic law in the country, the release of their members in government custody and a reduction of Pakistani military presence in the country’s former tribal regions.

It was unclear if the four militants that were killed on Saturday were TTP members.

According to the army’s statement, militants who were involved in attacks on civilians and security forces were targeted by the operation in Bannu’s Jani Khel district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. After intense firefights, the four assailants were able to recover weapons and ammunition.

The operation was confirmed by Bannu’s Army Control Center, but the center declined to provide further details. Jani Khel is near the spot where hostages were held at the counterterrorism center last month.

Late Saturday night, militants attacked a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police checkpoint. The officer was also killed. Police said that one of the attackers was killed in retaliation.

Anwar Shah, an assistant sub-inspector in Lakki Marwat police control, stated Sunday that 15 militants attacked Shehbaz Khal checkpoint at 12 :15 AM with machine guns and RPGs.