Taliban militants gun down 9 security forces in NW Pakistan
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Pakistani soldiers examine seized automatic weapons as they are displayed for media in Peshawar on January 27, 2016. (AFP photo)
Taliban militants have shot dead at least nine Pakistani security forces personnel in two separate attacks across a volatile tribal region near the Afghan border, officials say.
According to Press TV, Naveed Akbar, a local administration official, said on Thursday that at least seven paramilitary forces lost their lives when militants ambushed a village checkpost in the volatile Mohmand Agency, which is located about 177 km (110 miles) from the capital Islamabad.
Separately, two members of paramilitary force on guard duty were gunned down by a group of militants in the same volatile region, the official added.
"The attacks came at around 1:00 am local time. It was pitch black and the policemen were caught unaware. The militants struck suddenly and killed them without giving them a chance to fight back," the official said.
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for both attacks.
Pakistan’s tribal regions, located near the country’s border with neighboring Afghanistan, have been dealing with militancy over the past years.
In recent months, Taliban militants have launched a series of deadly attacks against the government forces and civilians across the troubled northwestern region.
