Seven Pakistani troops killed in militant attack

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, Tuesday (Reuters) - Militants fired rockets at a Pakistani paramilitary post in a troubled tribal region bordering Afghanistan early on Tuesday, killing seven troops, government officials said.

It was the latest in a spate of violence in North Waziristan, part of a semi-autonomous tribal belt where many al Qaeda members took refuge after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in late 2001.

The militants attacked the post about three km (two miles) southeast of North Waziristan's capital, Miranshah, after midnight, sparking a battle that lasted about two hours, local government officials said.

Paramilitary troops returned fire, but it was not known if there were any militant casualties, said the officials, who did not want to be identified.

The dead were five paramilitaries and two regular army troops, while several soldiers were wounded, one official said.

On Saturday, eight members of the Pakistani paramilitary force were killed in an attack by pro-Taliban militants in a nearby area.