7 Pakistani soldiers, 23 militants killed in separate shootouts during raids along the Afghan border

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s military says seven soldiers and 23 militants have been killed in three separate shootouts in the volatile northwest near Afghanistan, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. In a statement on Monday, the army said The first exchange of fire occurred overnight on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing six militants and two army officers. A second shootout happened during another security operation on Monday in the district of Tank, leaving 10 militants dead. Five soldiers and seven militants were also killed during a fire exchange in the district of Khyber, the statement said.