More than  2,000 soldiers have been killed in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan since 2001  [EPA]

At least 11 Pakistani soldiers have reportedly been killed after armed men ambushed a military convoy travelling close to the Afghan border.

A government official told the Associated Press news agency that those killed on Monday included a colonel and a captain in the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary unit that is being trained by a small contingent of US special forces soldiers.

Iqbal Khan, a Khyber government official, added that the convoy was returning from a mission in three vehicles when it was attacked not far from the main northwestern city of Peshawar.

He said several of the attackers were also killed, but gave no more details.

Al-Qaeda hub

Pakistan's tribal regions close to the Afghan border are home to al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters seeking to overthrow the government.

The Pakistani army has launched several operations in the remote and rugged region over the last few years, but the fighters have proved resilient.

The army says more than 2,000 Pakistani soldiers have been killed there since 2001. The region is also used as a base to attack Western forces in Afghanistan.