KARACHI: Police officials said Friday they had killed five suspected Taliban militants in a gunfight in the southern port city of Karachi.

The shootout came as police raided a suspected hideout of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the poor neighbourhood of Gulshan-i-Buner to the east of the city, senior police official Rao Anwar told AFP.

“Police asked the militants to surrender, but they opened fire, after which police responded,” he added.

“Five terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire,” Anwar said, adding that a large stash of weapons was recovered from the scene.

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Karachi, a city of 18 million people which contributes 42 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, has been plagued by sectarian, ethnic and political violence for years.

Targeted operations led by Rangers with the support of police are ongoing in the city under a directive issued by the federal government against criminals already identified by federal, military and civilian agencies.