Pakistani officials say gunmen have attacked a military checkpoint in southwestern Baluchistan Province, killing six soldiers.
The officials said about a dozen gunmen attacked the post of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the district of Dera Bugti, about 400 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital, Quetta, before dawn on January 26.
After killing the soldiers, the gunmen are reported to have taken the soldiers' weapons and escaped.
Officials blamed the attack on Baluch rebels seeking political autonomy and a greater share of the profits from the province's oil, natural gas, and mineral resources.
Baluchistan which borders Afghanistan and Iran has also seen sectarian violence and attacks by Taliban militants.
compiled from agency reports