Saturday, January 7 2006 11:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: At least five Pakistani soldiers were gunned down by unidentified assailants in the country's tribal region early today (Jan 07, 2006).

The incident took place in North Waziristan tribal region, close to Afghanistan border, where the Pakistani army was searching for what it called al-Qaeda-linked foreign suspects and their local supporters, sources reported.

The assailants fled after the attack in which five soldiers were killed, it said.

There was no immediate official word on the attack and no one has claimed responsibility for it.

Pakistan has deployed thousands of soldiers in the tribal region along the border with Afghanistan to check cross-border movement of militants.

Hundreds of al-Qaeda suspects from Afghanistan had fled due to the US-led operation there and were now believed to be hiding in Pakistan's remote tribal region.