10 police officers killed in militant drone attack in Pakistan

A drone attack and ambush by Islamist militants at a police post in northwest Pakistan killed at ​least 10 officers, police said, the second such assault within a ‌week.

The attack took place late on Wednesday in the Hangu district near the Afghan border, an area that has long served as home to militant groups.

Militancy in Pakistan's ​border areas has risen sharply in recent months, targeting mainly the ​military and police after an armed conflict between Pakistan and ⁠Afghanistan killed hundreds.

Islamabad says the militants use safe havens in Afghanistan to ​train and plan attacks in Pakistan. Afghanistan's Taliban government has denied the charge ​and said militancy is Pakistan's domestic problem.

The militants ambushed the police check post after hitting it with improvised explosive devices attached to quadcopters, police said in a statement.

Ten officers ​and 15 of the attackers were killed in several hours of fighting, ​said Zulfikar Hameed, the provincial police chief.

The Islamist militants have in recent months started ‌using the ⁠quadcopters to target security forces in the border areas.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which came days after a suicide bombing killed 15, including 12 Pakistani army soldiers in the nearby district of Tank. ​The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, ​or Pakistan Taliban, ⁠claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

The group has been waging an insurgency against the Pakistani state since 2007 in ​an attempt to overthrow the government and replace it with ​their ⁠own brand of strict Islamic governance.

Militant attacks have surged along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan and have the potential to reignite fighting between the neighbours. The allies-turned-foes ⁠engaged in ​their worst fighting in years in February, ​with Pakistan carrying out airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

-Reuters