Islamabad, September 24 (QNA) - Pakistani security forces have killed eight militants in an operation in North Waziristan, authorities said on Thursday, as violence continues to increase in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Security sources said the eight militants belonged to a banned group and that their hideouts were destroyed during the operation.

In a separate incident near Peshawar, one militant and a police officer were killed in an exchange of fire between militants and a counter-terrorism unit. Three other people were wounded.

A senior official from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Counter Terrorism Department said the unit had received intelligence about the presence of militants in Garhi Sherdad, near Warsak Road, on the outskirts of Peshawar.

The official said an operation was planned after the information was received, but militants opened fire when security personnel arrived in the area.

The incidents come as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a rise in militant attacks. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the province recorded 54 attacks in August, compared with 36 in July — an increase of 50%.

The institute said security forces carried out operations across the province in August that resulted in 60 deaths, including 56 militants, as authorities continued efforts to counter armed groups.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has been a major focus of Pakistan's security operations amid persistent militant activity in the region. (QNA)