MIRAMSHAH, Jan 10: Suspected militants attacked a checkpost near Miramshah in the North Waziristan Agency on Monday night, killing seven army and paramilitary soldiers and wounding two, official said.

A private TV channel quoted ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan as claiming that 14 militants were killed after security forces retaliated. However, independent sources contradicted the figures and said that only three militants had been killed.

An official said that a top militant commander identified as Bilal was among the dead.

His funeral prayer was offered in the Asadkhel area of Razmak sub-division in the agency.

The 30-year old Bilal is said to have been a deserter from the Frontier Constabulary. He had been commanding a group of militants since security forces launched an operation in the region.

Local people said that two women were wounded and several houses damaged in Serbandki village in heavy gunfire between troops and miliitants.

Officials said that militants attacked Serbandki check-post, jointly manned by army and paramilitary troops and located on a mountain spur, at about 12.30am.

The militants used machine guns and rockets in the attack. Security forces returned fire. Firing between troops and the militants continued for two hours and several shells and rockets landed in residential areas.

Area residents said that houses came under attack in Qutabkhel and Serbandki villages where two women were injured. They were later taken to a local hospital.

The dead and wounded soldiers were taken to Peshawar by a military helicopter.

Afterwards, the villagers held a demonstration and blocked Miramshah-Mirali road for more than two hours to protest against the intense shelling. Angry tribesmen chanted slogans against the government and urged it to stop firing on residential compounds.

Sources said that tension was increasing in the unruly tribal region and security forces were firing artillery shells from a Touchi Scouts camp at suspected militant positions since Tuesday afternoon.

They said that residential compounds were also targeted in Khushali Toorikhel village but no casualties had been reported as the residents have already vacated their houses.

OUR PESHAWAR BUREAU ADDS: Vice-Chief of Army Staff Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat has said terrorism will be defeated at all costs because it threa-tens the foundation of the country.