Pakistani troops kill 5 insurgents in a raid on their hideout in restive northwest

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces acting on intelligence raided a militant hideout in restive northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, resulting in a shootout in which five insurgents were killed and two others were wounded, the military said.

It issued a statement stating that the raid occurred in Lakki Marwat, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The military gave no further details about the slain or injured insurgents. However, previously most such raids were conducted against the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, who often target security forces.

The TTP is outlawed in Pakistan and is a close ally of the Afghan Taliban who control neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan in recent months has witnessed a surge in militant violence, mostly blamed on TTP and other militant groups.