Nine suspected militants and four security officials were killed in a gunfire in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, district officials said.

The incident took place late Thursday (May 14, 2026) night in Bajaur district. According to officials, a group of militants launched attacks in the areas of Meena and Inayat Kalay, but security forces “responded effectively”. While nine attackers — all of them suspected militants – were killed on the post, several others sustained injuries.

The area was later cordoned off and a search operation was launched to track the remaining militants.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in northwest Pakistan has faced recurring unrest over the years driven by militant violence, cross-border movement of fighters from Afghanistan and repeated military operations. Its mountainous terrain and porous frontier add to the challenges for security forces.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a surge in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) , total fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.