At least five militants were killed in an exchange of fire with the police in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, officials said. The gunfight took place when around 25 to 30 militants stormed a seminary in the Sheikh Landak and Takhti Khel areas of the Lakki Marwat district. As the militants stormed the seminary, residents assisted by the police cordoned off the area. A fierce exchange of fire between police personnel and the militants followed, in which five militants were killed. The remaining militants were barricaded inside the seminary, a police official said. After failing to break the cordon, the trapped militants reportedly requested negotiations. Law enforcement agencies deployed additional contingents, and authorities maintained a strict perimeter to prevent any escape attempt.
