Police officers were killed in an attack on a checkpoint near the Afghan border, with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) claiming responsibility for the assault.

At least 10 Pakistani security personnel were killed when their outpost came under attack, according to reports from AFP and Reuters on Friday.

The attack occurred near the northwestern city of Dera Ismail Khan late on Thursday. Reuters reported that Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, confirmed the incident.

According to a senior intelligence officer who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, the intense exchange of gunfire lasted nearly an hour. "Ten Frontier Constabulary personnel were martyred, and seven were wounded during the attack," he said.

An estimated 20 to 25 militants are believed to have participated in the assault, which took place approximately 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) east of the Afghan border.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was in retaliation for the killing of senior leader Ustad Qureshi. According to Pakistan's military, Qureshi was one of nine militants killed during a recent operation in Bajaur district.

Militant attacks in Pakistan have escalated since the Afghan Taliban assumed power in 2021, with the Pakistani branch primarily targeting security forces. The TTP shares ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban and has historical roots in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government accuses the TTP of using Afghanistan as a base of operations, alleging that the ruling Afghan Taliban administration is providing shelter for the group near the border—a claim the Afghan Taliban denies.

In September, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, warned the Security Council that the TTP could soon become the "spearhead of global terrorist goals," potentially aligning with groups such as al-Qaeda.