8 soldiers killed, 7 policemen kidnapped in Pakistan: Police

Eight soldiers were killed and seven police officers kidnapped in separate attacks in northwest Pakistan, police and intelligence officials told AFP on Tuesday.

A Monday clash resulted in the deaths of "eight soldiers" and "nine militants" in the Tirah area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, an intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility.

In a separate attack in the province, "seven police officers were kidnapped" at a checkpoint, said a senior police official, also speaking anonymously. "The assailants also seized the weapons belonging to the officials,” he added.

Another police official, Muhammad Zia ud-Din, confirmed the incident.

Later in the day, Khorasan Diary quoted Bannu’s district police chief as saying that all seven policemen were released following the intervention of local elders. He added that none of the officers were injured.

Pakistan has seen a rise in attacks by the TTP on its border with Afghanistan.

The group killed 10 police officers on Oct. 25.

Attacks on Pakistan's security forces are taking place elsewhere in the country of 240 million.

On Saturday, seven soldiers were killed in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province. Earlier, a bombing killed 26 people, including 14 soldiers, at a train station in the provincial capital of Quetta.