Islamabad, May 1 (UNI) Three police personnel were killed and two others injured late Wednesday night during a gunfight between terrorists and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Thursday.

According to a police spokesperson, the exchange of fire occurred in the Chashma area of Bannu district, when CTD forces launched an operation targeting terrorists.

"Three CTD personnel were killed and two others sustained injuries during the encounter," the spokesperson said, adding that the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment, Pakistani media reported.

At least two terrorists were believed to have been killed or wounded in the shootout, but their bodies were taken away by their accomplices as they fled the scene, the spokesperson added.

Security forces recovered weapons, ammunition, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and hand grenades from the site.

The spokesperson said the area has been cordoned off, and an operation is underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects, Xinhua news reported.

Regional Police Officer Bannu Sajjad Khan vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, stating that law enforcement would deal with the attackers with full force.

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