Pakistani army says 10 soldiers killed in militant raid

Militants attacked a security post in a remote area of southwest Pakistan, triggering a firefight that killed 10 soldiers and an assailant, the military said Thursday.

The predawn attack happened Wednesday in Kech, a town in Baluchistan province, according to a statement released by the military. It said the troops returned fire, killing one attacker.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack.

The military said security forces later arrested three insurgents and that a search for those who launched the attack was still underway.

Baluchistan has been the site of a long-running insurgency, with an array of separatist groups staging attacks, mainly on government troops and police.

The separatists in the province have been demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad. Although Pakistani authorities say they have quelled the insurgency, violence in Baluchistan has persisted.

The latest violence comes days after a Baluchistan-based separatist group claimed responsibility for a bombing in the city of Lahore that killed three people.

Pakistan has recently seen a flurry of attacks across the country, including in urban areas.