ISLAMABAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A paramilitary soldier was killed and seven others were injured when militants attacked a security forces' installation in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province early Tuesday morning, officials said.

The attack took place at around 5:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) in Bannu district, when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of a Frontier Corps compound, police sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The powerful blast destroyed the gate and allowed several armed militants to force their way into the compound, which houses both official offices and residential quarters, the sources said.

Security forces immediately retaliated, killing the suicide bomber and one of his accomplices, while an intense gun battle with the remaining attackers was still underway, according to officials.

Troops from the Pakistani Army, assisted by local police, quickly reached the site to secure the area and launch a clearance operation, the sources added.

No group has claimed the attack yet. ■