Eight Militants Killed During Raid in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Eight militants were shot dead by Pakistan security forces during a raid on a militant hideout in the northwestern South Waziristan tribal region, the country's army said on Thursday.

Two children also lost their lives during the exchange of fire with the militants, while two soldiers suffered injuries in the operation, it added.

The army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the op was prompted following information about terrorists' presence in South Waziristan's Zinghara area.

South Waziristan is the birthplace of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)*, the militant organization widely regarded responsible for a spate of terrorist attacks in Pakistan recently.

Last month, a suicide bomber allegedly associated with the TTP detonated a bomb at a mosque in Peshawar city, killing more than 100, including scores of policemen. The mosque was located in a high-security zone, housing the province's counter-terrorism department's headquarters.

Days later, the militants stormed the office of the Karachi Police chief. While the attack was repulsed, it left three Pakistani paramilitary personnel dead.

More recently, two Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in a gunbattle with militants in North Waziristan in February last week.

Islamabad has alleged that the TTP is using Afghanistan as its base to launch attacks on Pakistan, which Kabul has repeatedly denied.

Pakistan's top leadership, including Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, raised the issue during his recent visit to Kabul after which Pakistan's Foreign Office said that the Taliban** has promised that Afghan territory will not be allowed to foment unrest in the neighboring nation.