'Ten dead' in Pakistan avalanche

Avalanches are common at this time of the year

At least 10 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and four are missing after they were hit by an avalanche near the Afghan border, officials say.

The soldiers were patrolling the area on foot near the snow-covered mountainous tribal area of Kachkol, about 75kms north-west of Peshawar.

Rescuers say they have pulled out five troops, but that at least eight to 10 soldiers were still buried in the snow.

Correspondents say the area is prone to avalanches at this time of the year.

"The chances of their survival are bleak," Arbab Arif, in charge of security for the country's north-western tribal regions, told the Associated Press news agency.

Correspondents say that Pakistan has deployed about 80,000 troops in its tribal regions, including Kachkol, to root out members of the Taleban, al-Qaeda and their local supporters who are believed to be hiding in the area.