The “miscreants” launched the attack in Sarbandji village near Miranshah, the capital of the semi-autonomous North Waziristan region, shortly after midnight (1900 GMT Monday), a security official told AFP.

Soldiers immediately returned fire and there was a gunfight lasting more than 90 minutes but there were no reports of militant casualties, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The situation in North Waziristan remained tense later Tuesday and gunship helicopters hovered in the sky in search of militants, the official and witnesses said.

Pakistani forces have been battling Al-Qaeda militants who sneaked across the mountainous border in late 2001 after the US-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan, and have also tackled their local supporters.

The latest deaths come four days after eight other Pakistani paramilitary soldiers and eight villagers were killed in two separate incidents in North Waziristan.

Pakistan said Monday it had lodged a strong protest with the US-led forces in Afghanistan after the civilians in Saidgai village were apparently killed by cross-border gunfire on Friday.

Meanwhile on Monday two Pakistani gunships fired on two residential compounds in Mosky village, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of Miranshah, but there were no casualties as the places were abandoned, the security official said.

Paramilitary troops also searched homes in neighbouring Eamarki village on Monday and were continuing a siege of Hasokhel and Milagan villages in search of suspects wanted in last week’s soldier deaths, he said.

The military says it drove out rebels from neighbouring South Waziristan in 2004 and 2005, but a few hundred escaped to North Waziristan. More than 250 Pakistani soldiers have died in operations in the tribal zone.