At least 14 soldiers killed in Pakistan

At least 14 soldiers were killed late Wednesday when suspected Baluch separatists ambushed their vehicle in Pakistan''s southwestern Baluchistan province. Pakistani officials said the incident took place in Turbat district near the Iranian border. Baluchistan is home to various militant groups, including pro-Taliban factions, as well as Baluch militants. The province has been in the grip of a regional insurgency for years as separatist militants fight for more autonomy and greater control over natural resources. The ambush came less than 24 hours after a US drone strike killed four suspected militants in the country''s northwest. Pakistani officials said the missiles hit a compound near Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region, late Tuesday. US officials confirmed the attack. The strike was the first since NATO helicopters operating out of Afghanistan mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the border last November. That attack worsened already strained US-Pakistan relations and prompted Pakistan to block supply routes for NATO troops in Afghanistan. (QNA) LY