6 paramilitary troops killed, 3 taken hostage in NW Pakistan: Report

At least six paramilitary troops were killed, and another three taken hostage in an attack on a security check post in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, local media reported.

The incident occurred in the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which touches neighboring Afghanistan, local English daily Dawn reported, citing unnamed sources.

Eight suspected militants were killed in the clash, while four paramilitary troops were injured.

The security forces "foiled" the militants' attempt to capture the post, the newspaper reported, citing sources.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, although the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a consortium of several militant groups in Pakistan, has been involved in such attacks in recent years.

Last month, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said in an assessment that after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation had deteriorated sharply in May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan.