6 Pakistani soldiers killed in Taliban attack

Pakistani Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint in the northwestern border region with Afghanistan, killing six soldiers and injuring four others, a government official said on Tuesday.

The assault occurred late Monday in Kurram, a tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when more than a dozen armed militants stormed the checkpoint, triggering a heavy exchange of fire. Two militants were also reported killed.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been active in the region for years, claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan accuses the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of harboring TTP fighters and allowing cross-border attacks, a claim denied by Kabul.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions along the border. The frontier has remained closed since clashes in October, although Pakistan recently allowed UN aid supplies to enter Afghanistan.

The attack follows a recent cross-border firefight that killed four civilians and a Pakistani soldier, with both sides blaming each other.

Source: AFP