At least 10 Pakistani security personnel were killed when their outpost came under attack, the AFP and Reuters news agencies reported on Friday.

The attack took place near the northwest city of Dera Ismail Khan late on Thursday, with Reuters reporting that the attack was confirmed by Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, chief minister of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

What is known about the attack

"The intense exchange of fire lasted for nearly an hour. Ten Frontier Constabulary personnel were martyred, and seven were wounded during the attack," a senior intelligence officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Around 20 to 25 militants were believed to be involved in the assault which occurred around around 70 kilometers (around 43 miles) east of the Afghan border.

Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement and said it was in retaliation for the killing of senior leader Ustad Qureshi.

Qureshi was among nine militants killed during a military operation in the district of Bajaur, according to Pakistan's military

There has been an increase in militant attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban seized power in 2021. The Pakistani group — which pledged allegiance to its Afghan counterpart but maintains its own command structures — has been carrying out attacks mostly targeting security forces.

The TTP historically has roots in Afghanistan and shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.

Islamabad says the TTP uses Afghanistan as a base and believes the ruling Taliban administration has been sheltering the group near the border, something the Afghan Taliban has denied.

In September, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, warned the Security Council that the TTP could soon become the "spearhead of global terrorist goals," allying itself with groups such as al-Qaeda.

kb/wd (AFP, Reuters)