Twelve soldiers were killed in northwest Pakistan on Saturday in an ambush by Islamist militants on an army convoy, officials said.

The soldiers were moving in vehicles when they came under fire in the mountainous Badar area of South Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan's military said in a statement that 12 soldiers and 13 militants were killed in the clash "after an intense exchange of fire".

At least four people were injured, security officials said.

The Pakistani Taliban, a jihadist group that Islamabad says is based in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility, saying it had also captured weapons and drones from the soldiers.

Residents said they saw helicopters in the air for hours after the early morning attack, taking the casualties to hospital and searching for the attackers.

Typically, a curfew is imposed and the route swept before military convoys move in the area, a focus for militants.

Islamabad alleges that the Pakistani Taliban is being harboured by the Afghan Taliban administration.

The Pakistani group stepped up attacks, targeting Pakistani security forces since the Afghan Taliban swept to power in 2021.

"Pakistan expects the interim Afghan Government to uphold its responsibilities and deny use of its soil for terrorists' activities against Pakistan," Pakistan's military said. (Reuters)