Eight terrorists killed in Rajanpur operation: Pakistan army

ISLAMABAD: Troops Saturday killed at least eight militants in a gunfight in Gayandari area at Punjab- Balochistanin border, the military said.

The operation was part of the ongoing crackdown against militants being carried out by troops across Pakistan.

"Eight terrorists have been killed and a security forces member embraced martyrdom," the military said in a statement, adding that a number of militants were also detained.

The statement added that there were still outlaws with arms and ammunition hiding out in Gayandari, an area between the border of Balochistan and central Punjab where many militant hideouts are located.

The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004.

Security in the country has since improved. Scattered attacks still take place, but they are fewer and of a lesser intensity than in previous years.