The killing of nine foreign climbers in an apparent terrorist attack on a hotel in northern Pakistan has prompted a warning from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
The assault happened at the base camp of Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth highest mountain, in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is a region popular with trekkers as the gateway to the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges.
The Pakistani Taliban told the BBC it was responsible for the attack, the first on tourists in the region.
The nationalities of the victims have not been fully confirmed, although they include a number of Ukrainians and Chinese. One Pakistani also died.
The trekkers had planned to climb Nanga Parbat in the coming days, a local tour operator said.
Up to 20 attackers, reportedly dressed in local paramilitary uniforms, stormed the hotel at the base camp in the foothills of Nanga Parbat at about 10.45pm local time on Saturday.
The FCO said there was a “high threat” from terrorism, kidnap and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan.
It confirmed the attack at the Nanga Parbat base camp area in which the nine foreign tourists and a Pakistani national were killed.
Around 270,000 Britons visit Pakistan every year. Most visits are trouble-free, according to the FCO.