“Armed terrorists attacked a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy with heavy weapons… The fighting continued for several hours,” a senior local security official told AFP.

“Eight FC personnel were killed, and 11 were injured,” he said.

Three injured soldiers are in critical condition, while the clash also killed four rebels, he added.

A senior administration official in the area confirmed the details to AFP.

The clash, which lasted for several hours, took place in Daburi, Orakzai district, near the Afghan border.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad accuses its western neighbour of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan – a claim the Taliban denies.

More than 320 people, mostly security personnel, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.