Seventeen militants linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Saturday were killed in a joint operation by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) and police in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials told news agency AP.According to District Police Officer (DPO) Karak Shahbaz Elahi, the intelligence-led operation took place in the Karak district on Friday following credible reports about the presence of militants affiliated with the TTP and the Mullah Nazir group.As security forces approached, the militants opened fire, prompting retaliation in which all 17 were killed. A substantial cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the scene. Three security personnel sustained injuries in the firefight.The slain militants were reportedly wanted for multiple crimes, including attacks on security forces, kidnapping for ransom, and other terrorist activities. A curfew was later imposed in Darsha Khel and surrounding villages to facilitate a wider combing operation, as several militants were believed to have fled the area.Separately, at least 23 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in an airstrike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday.