Eight soldiers killed, seven police officers kidnapped in Pakistan attacks

Eight soldiers were killed and seven police officers abducted in separate incidents in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, officials told news agency AFP. The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assaults.

The first attack occurred on Monday, where a clash between security forces and militants left "eight soldiers" and "nine militants" dead, according to an intelligence official who spoke anonymously.

In a separate incident, seven police officers were abducted, a senior police official confirmed.

These incidents follow a series of recent militant operations in Pakistan. Just last week, seven paramilitary soldiers were killed in an attack by Baloch separatists on a border post in Balochistan province . The same group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), was responsible for a deadly railway station bombing earlier this year that killed 26 people, including 14 soldiers.

Militant groups like the BLA and the Pakistani Taliban frequently target security forces and infrastructure, claiming to fight for autonomy or ideological goals. Their activities have disrupted economic projects, particularly those involving foreign investment, such as Chinese-backed ventures in Balochistan.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned these attacks, vowing swift action against the perpetrators.