Roadside bombs, then gun attack: 11 Pakistani paramilitary troops killed near Afghan border; TTP claims responsibility

Eleven members of Pakistan’s paramilitary forces, including two officers, were killed in an ambush by Islamist militants near the Afghan border, sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

According to the sources, the attack targeted a convoy of paramilitary troops operating in a volatile region that has seen repeated militant assaults in recent years. Security forces have launched a search operation to track down the attackers, while the government has yet to issue an official statement.
Video
Roadside bombs hit the convoy before a large group of militants opened fire in the northwestern district of Kurram, five Pakistani security officials told Reuters.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to a Reuters reporter. The army’s public relations wing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In recent months, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which seeks to overthrow the government and impose its hardline interpretation of Islamic governance, has intensified attacks on security forces. Islamabad has accused the group of using neighbouring Afghanistan to train and plan assaults on Pakistani targets, a charge that Kabul denies.