At least five terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire during a joint operation led by the Counter-Terrorism Department and police in Bannu city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aaj News reported while citing sources.

The deceased terrorists were identified as Shah Fahd, Nou Uddin, Sabirain, Sherman Ullah, and Muhammad Iqbal, they claimed, adding that a search operation for other terrorists, who managed to flee after taking advantage of darkness, was under way.

They added that the CTD through sources had received a tip-off that terrorists involved in terrorist activities were present in the Zandi Falak Sher area, which comes under the jurisdiction of Bannu’s Haveed Police Station. Such information led to a joint operation with police in the area.

Sources said that the five terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire during the operation. They added that a bike laden with explosive material and arms were recovered from the killed terrorists’ possession.

They added that the five terrorists were involved in attacking security forces, target killing, and bomb blasts.

The search operation comes as the province grapples with the resurgence of terrorist attacks. At least 62 people died on March 5 when a suicide attacker detonated himself while prayers were under way at an imambargah plus mosque located in the historic Qissa Khawani bazaar of Peshawar.

The Counter-Terrorism Department on March 9 claimed to have killed three suspects who were allegedly involved in a suicide blast in a Peshawar Shia mosque last week.