Islamist militants attacked a military base in northwestern Pakistan, killing eight security personnel, the military said on Tuesday, after a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into a perimeter wall.
In the ensuing operation, security forces killed all 10 assailants targeting the base in Bannu, on the border with the tribal area of North Waziristan, which is known as a hotbed of Islamist militancy, and is close to the Afghanistan border.
"This timely and effective response ... prevented major catastrophe, saving precious innocent lives," the military said in a statement.
Among the dead in Monday's attack were seven army men and one paramilitary soldier.
