Ten soldiers killed in two separate incidents in Pakistan: military

Ten Pakistani soldiers were killed by militants on Saturday in two separate incidents in the country's northwestern and southwestern provinces, the military said.

Six soldiers patrolling near the Afghan border were killed in North Waziristan district when militants opened fire from the Afghan side, according to the military.

Separately, the army said four paramilitary troops were killed in the southwestern province of Balochistan during an operation against militants.

Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his condolences to the families of those killed, and tweeted: “I salute our armed forces personnel who continue to lay down their lives fighting terrorists to keep the nation safe.”

North Waziristan -- once a focal point in the global war on terror -- held provincial elections for the first time earlier this month, a key step in bringing the northwestern region into the political mainstream after years of turmoil fueled by militancy.

Washington has long insisted the area provides safe havens to militants -- including the Taliban and Al-Qaeda -- an allegation Islamabad denies.

Security has improved in recent years, but lower-level attacks still occur and the area remains notorious for the availability of cheap guns, drugs, and smuggled goods.