The attackers struck late Saturday at the foot of one of the world's highest mountains, killing climbers at a base camp in the far-flung north not previously associated with violence or Islamist militancy.
The deaths call into question the future of foreign mountaineering and trekking expeditions, which provide the last vestige of international tourism in a country on the frontline of al Qaeda and Taliban violence. Officials on Sunday said two Chinese, on American, one Nepali, a number of Ukrainians and one Pakistani were among those killed while one Chinese national survived the attack, which comes just weeks after a new government took office.
The climbers were staying at a base camp for Nanga Parbat, which at 8,126 metres (26,660 feet) is the second highest mountain in Pakistan and the ninth highest in the world.
The base camp is at Fairy Meadows in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, which borders China and Kashmir.
"The incident took place around 10:00 pm (Saturday, 1700 GMT). They were mountaineers," Diamer police official Mohammed Naveed told AFP.
"Gunmen came and opened fire on them. It is confirmed that they have been killed," he said.
The bodies of the foreigners were transported by helicopters to Gilgit airport from the area and later flown to capital Islamabad, officials said.
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar told reporters that four had been identified.
"All the 10 dead bodies have been recovered and four of them have been identified. Two of them were Chinese and one was Nepali national, the third one was of Chinese origin, who's nationality is American. The six (other) dead bodies are yet to be identified" he said, though he thought the rest were Ukrainians.
Matt Boland, acting spokesperson for the US embassy in Islamabad confirmed to AFP that an American citizen had been killed in the attack and extended the embassy's condolences to the families of the "innocent tourists".
Nisar earlier said six Ukrainians and three Chinese were among the dead while Ukraine's ambassador to Pakistan, Vladimir Lakomov, earlier told AFP that five Ukrainians were killed.
Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Yevgen Perebiynis said that according to Kiev's latest information, 11 people were killed in the attack, including five Ukrainians.
The Himalayas are a magnet for experienced mountaineers, often from Europe.
Nisar said the attackers were dressed as Gilgit Scouts, a paramilitary police unit, and reached the area by abducting two guides.
"One guide was killed in the shootout. One is alive. He is now detained and being questioned," he said.
The interior minister conceded there was no security escort for foreigners in that area of the mountains.
The top bureaucrat and top police official in Gilgit-Baltistan were on Sunday suspended.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned "these inhuman and cruel acts", ordered a thorough investigation and called for the culprits to be brought to justice, the government said. A spokesman for main umbrella Taliban faction, which is waging a seven-year domestic insurgency, initially refused to comment, but later telephoned AFP to claim responsibility.
He said the attack was in response to the death of the group's deputy chief in a US drone strike near the Afghan border.
"One of our factions, Junood ul-Hifsa, did it. It is to avenge the killing of Maulvi Wali ur-Rehman," said spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.
Ehsan told AFP that Junood ul-Hifsa was a new wing set up by the Taliban "to attack foreigners and convey a message to the world against drone strikes".