4 militants killed in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's

Peshawar: Pakistani security forces killed at least four 'militants' during an intelligence-based operation in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Tuesday.

The operation took place on Monday in the Dera Ismail Khan district on the reported presence of terrorists in the area, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the military's media wing.

An intense exchange of fire took place between the militants and the security personnel, during which the four militants were killed, Geo News reported.

"The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and killing of innocent civilians," the ISPR said.

Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from those killed, it added.

A sanitisation operation was launched to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, the ISPR said.

The operation came as security forces foiled an attack by armed Baloch militants to infiltrate one of the main naval air bases in the Balochistan province.

At least four terrorists were killed in the attack on Monday night at the PNS Siddique Naval Air Base in Turbat, a turbulent district in the sparsely populated province.

A soldier of the Frontier Corps Balochistan was also killed in the attack.

The banned Balochistan Liberation Army claimed that its Majeed Brigade was behind the attack.