In an early Tuesday operation in northwestern Pakistan, a police raid on a militant hideout led to an intense shootout, resulting in the death of a senior police officer and two militants, according to local police.
The confrontation occurred in Mardan, a city within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Hidayat Ullah, a local police official, told reporters that the operation left Police Superintendent Ijaz Khan dead, who was leading the raid, and wounded two other officers.
He did not provide details on the identities of the deceased militants, stating that the investigation was ongoing.
The region, bordering Afghanistan, frequently witnesses attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), targeting security forces.