Pakistan Army on Monday claimed to have conducted and intelligence based operation in Frontier Region Tank, killing four suspected militants.

The media wing of the military released a statement in this regard, saying the operation was reportedly carried out against Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani Group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The Inter-Services Public Relations claimed that the suspects killed in the military operation were allegedly high-profile terrorists including the son of former TTP shura member Asmatullah Shaheen.

However, these details could not be verified independently.

The identities of those killed in the military operation, as provided by the ISPR, are Commander Zaman alias Toofan, Naib Commander Umar s/o Asmatullah Shaheen, Commander Wasiullah and Commander Zulam alias Zulmat.

The group was allegedly involved in target killings, extortion and kidnaping for ransom in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and surrounding areas, read the ISPR statement.

Cache of weapons and ammunitions also recovered from the possession of the deceased suspects, it added.

Asmatullah Shaheen was killed by another TTP faction due to an internal rift during 2014.

Shaheen was a key member of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan's shura (high council) who served as the acting TTP chief after Hakeemullah Mehsud’s death. He was on the Pakistan army's list of twenty most wanted TTP commanders, and had a Rs10 million bounty placed on his head since 2009.

Shaheen gained notoriety after he claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on an Ashura procession in 2009 which killed 44 people in Karachi.

He was also responsible for storming a paramilitary outpost in the northwestern district of Tank in 2011, killing one troop during the fighting and kidnapping 15. Eleven of the detainees were later executed while the rest escaped.