Pakistani security forces killed six militants in separate counter-terrorism operations in Khyber and Bannu districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (a northwestern province bordering Afghanistan) on Tuesday. Five fighters were killed in Tandori village in the Akkakhel area of Bara, Khyber district, after militants who had descended from the restive Tirah Valley gathered near the outskirts of Peshawar; officials said drones and quadcopters were deliberately avoided to reduce civilian casualties. In a separate operation in Jani Khel subdivision of Bannu, forces killed a wanted militant known as Naeemat Wazir, alias "Grenade," who was accused of multiple terrorist attacks and regarded as a key figure in fuelling instability in the region.