Pakistani government officials say militants have opened fire on a security checkpoint, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding three before 18 militants died when Pakistani forces retaliated.
The incident took place in Pakistan’s Kurram tribal region, not far from the Afghan border.
Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan is quoted by the AFP news agency as claiming responsibility for the attack and saying 12 Frontier Corps soldiers were killed and four others captured by militants.
Independent confirmation of the reported casualty tolls was not available.
The Kurram region, considered a Taliban and Al-Qaeda stronghold, has seen a recent surge of fighting, with dozens of fatalities reported in clashes over the past week.
Compiled from agency reports