Besides the Taliban, Balochistan has also suffered from a separatist insurgency since rebels rose up in 2004 demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region’s wealth of natural resources.—File Photo

QUETTA: Gunmen ambushed a Pakistani paramilitary checkpost on Friday, killing four soldiers and abducting four others in the southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but officials blamed the attack on Taliban in Shirani district, 350 kilometres east of Quetta, the capital of the province that borders Afghanistan and Iran.

“Militants attacked the post in the early hours. They first surrounded the post, then ambushed it. After killing four, they took four other soldiers with them,” said a senior government official in Balochistan.

Three other soldiers were wounded, the official added.

An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media, confirmed the attack and blamed the Taliban.