Multan (Pakistan), Apr 11 (AP) Counterterrorism police killed one of Pakistan's most wanted militants in a shootout in the garrison city of Rawalpindi overnight, a police official said Sunday.

Officer Kashif Hussain said three of the militant's accomplices escaped during the exchange of fire, leaving their weapons at the scene: two pistols, an assault rifle and ammunition.

He identified the slain militant only as Niaz and said he also uses the alias Zeeshan. Hussain said Niaz was active with the Pakistani Taliban group Tahreek-e-Taliban in Punjab province in the Hazro area of the district of Attock.

He said Niaz was also in league with banned militant organization Lashker-e-Jhangvi.

Hussain said Niaz was wanted in connection with a number of attacks in the region that killed more than two dozen citizens and security officials. There was a USD 40,000 bounty on his head.

According to Hussain, Niaz was involved in planning a 2015 suicide attack that killed then-home minister of Punjab province Shuja Khanzada, a high ranking police officer and others.

Hussain said the counterterrorism department received intelligence that four militants on two motorcycles planned to attack secret service officers so checkpoints were set up on the road linking Attock with Rawalpindi. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)