Pakistani soldiers, militants killed in North Waziristan clash: army

Six Pakistani soldiers have been killed in a clash with militants in a northwestern region near the border with Afghanistan, the army said, adding that four of the militants were killed.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility saying its fighters had ambushed two military vehicles on Tuesday.

"During an intense exchange of fire, six brave soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom," the army said in a statement, adding that the clash took place in North Waziristan.

The rugged border region has long served as a safe haven for militants linked both to domestic who have been fighting against the state and the Afghan Taliban before they returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said in a statement its fighters had killed 18 soldiers in the ambush.

Reuters was not able to verify the battlefield accounts. The army keeps the area off limits to journalists and human rights activists.

The TTP is a terrorist organisation of several militants trying to overthrow the government. The TTP has stepped up its attacks since it scrapped a ceasefire with the government last year.