7 Pakistani troops killed in ambush near Afghan border

KARACHI, Pakistan

At least seven Pakistani troops were killed in an ambush by suspected militants near the Afghan border, according to a military statement on Friday.

The incident, which ranks as one of the deadliest attacks in recent months, took place in the Isham area of the restless North Waziristan district when a group of heavily armed militants ambushed an army convoy.

In an exchange of fire, the statement said, seven soldiers and four terrorists were killed.

"Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the statement added.

Paying tributes to the killed soldiers, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad would continue fighting terrorism.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security agencies blame the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of several militant outfits reportedly operating from bordering areas in Afghanistan.

North Waziristan -- once dubbed the heartland of militancy -- is one of seven former semi-autonomous tribal regions in Pakistan where the army has conducted a series of operations since 2014 to eliminate the TTP.

Successive operations have pushed the TTP towards neighboring Afghanistan, and Islamabad claims the terrorist network has now set up bases across the border to attack Pakistani security forces.

In contrast to Islamabad's hopes for a further decrease in attacks from the bordering areas following the capture of Kabul by the Taliban, the army has still been facing a series of deadly attacks.

Pakistan is believed to have a degree of influence over the Taliban.