At least nine hardcore militants and three troops were killed during an exchange of firing between the insurgents and the forces in Pakistan's east Punjab province on Friday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouthpiece of Pakistani army, said in a statement that paramilitary troops Rangers, Intelligence Agencies and Counter Terrorism Department carried out a joint operation against terrorists holed up in a hideout in Basti Dadwani, 15 km south of Dera Ghazi Khan district of the province.

The statement added that the killed militants were affiliated with banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, their facilitators and other hardened criminals.

"During the exchange of fire, 9-10 hardcore terrorists were killed," the ISPR said.

The statement added that three soldiers of Pakistan Rangers were killed and two others sustained injuries during the clash.

The injured soldiers have been evacuated to military hospital in Multan by an army helicopter.

The ISPR said the operation was still going on in the area to flush the militants who were involved in heinous crimes, ransom and terrorist activities.

Earlier on Thursday, Colonel Amjad Iqbal, the spokesperson of Punjab rangers, told media that the troops killed four militants and detained another 10 from the Dera Ghazi Khan district.

The ongoing offensives of the Pakistani army are the continuation of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad (elimination of discord), which was kicked off on Feb. 22 to eliminate terrorists and their hideouts from the country.

Source: Xinhua