PESHAWAR: Security personnel killed seven militants after a bomb attack on their vehicle left four soldiers dead and two others injured in Datakhel area of North Waziristan Agency on Friday night, officials said.

They said security forces were on a routine patrol in Datakhel when an improvised explosive device went off near their vehicle. After the blast, they said, security personnellaunched a search operation in the area during which they exchanged fire with militants. Seven suspected militants were killed.

The sources said that troops had launched a ground offensive in Datakhel after a series of air strikes.

In another incident, rockets were fired at a base camp of security forces in Shawa nearMirali.-Correspondent