Pakistani security forces successfully neutralised nine militants after they attacked a government school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, briefly seizing the building and raising their flag in a brazen act of defiance.
At least nine militants were killed in an operation by Pakistan's security forces after an attack on a government school in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Tuesday.
The militants stormed Government High School Khwaja Mir Kalay in the Aka Khel area of Bara Tehsil, Khyber district, on Monday, in an apparent attempt to seize control of the building.
During the attack, the militants removed the national flag and hoisted their own flag on the school building.
Security forces responded swiftly, engaging the militants in a fierce gun battle.
Following the exchange of fire, nine militants were killed, and the forces regained control of the school, reinstating the national flag atop the building.
The militants had circulated a video on social media showing their control of the school and the raising of their flag, apparently as a propaganda effort.
In the aftermath of the attack, security forces launched a large-scale search and clearance operation in the surrounding areas to track down any remaining assailants and their facilitators.
The school has since been fully cleared, and the situation is reported to be under control.