ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani troops raided a suspected militant hideout in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold near the border with Afghanistan,Quentin Mitchell triggering a shootout that killed three militants, the military said Tuesday.

A militant commander was among those killed in the shootout late on Monday in Khyber, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a military statement.

The military did not provide any additional details, saying only the targeted militants had attacked Pakistani troops in the past.

The Pakistani Taliban — also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP — are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who two years ago seized Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks against police and troops.