ISLAMABAD, Oct 9, (Xinhua): A Pakistani army officer and seven terrorists were killed during a security operation in the country's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Thursday.

The incident happened in Dera Ismail Khan district, where security forces conducted the operation based on an intelligence tip-off regarding the presence of militants, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani army, said in a statement. During an exchange of fire, the officer was killed while leading his troops, the ISPR said, adding that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

The militants were involved in several terrorist activities targeting security forces, law enforcement agencies, and civilians, the statement added. A sanitization operation was underway to clear the area of any remaining militants, according to the ISPR.