By DPA
Islamabad : Four suspected militants were killed Monday in an exchange of fire with police in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, an official said.
Two officers and a passer-by were also injured in the clashes that continued for more than two hours Monday morning in the city of Bannu, 175 km from the provincial capital of Peshawar.
"We received information that insurgents had entered the town to carry out terrorist activities. As we started an operation to arrest them this morning they opened fire and hurled hand grenades," city police chief Mazhar ul Haq said.
Bannu has recently experienced increasing attacks by Islamic extremists that come mainly from nearby tribal area of North Waziristan.
The region is said to be the location of bases run by the Taliban and Al Qaeda elements in support of the militant campaign against foreign and government forces in Afghanistan.
Radicals last month put up posters in the town with warnings of retaliatory attack if police did not release their associates.