Pakistan, July 20 -- A joint operation by police and security forces killed nine militants in Hangu district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said, after a fierce gunbattle that left three senior officials, including the district police chief and a military officer, wounded.

The operation, launched around 1 PM based on actionable intelligence about militant presence in the area, resulted in a two-hour-long firefight before the area was cleared, according to police.

Hangu has long experienced sectarian and militant unrest, including deadly suicide bombings targeting civilian areas and mosques, and Saturday's raid marked the latest in a series of operations aimed at curbing militant violence in the province....