A group calling itself the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in the region bordering Afghanistan.
The paramilitary soldiers, with ties to Pakistan's military, were clearing roadblocks that the rebels had attempted to set up when they were ambushed near the city of Manguchar on Friday.
"70 to 80 armed rebels opened fire," says a police representative, adding that 12 rebels were killed in the clash.
Violent attacks have increased in the region since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan accuses its neighboring country of harboring separatists who attack Pakistan. Last year, 1,600 people were killed in attacks and clashes, with nearly 700 belonging to Pakistan's security forces, according to a research institute in Islamabad.
