Militants capture Pakistani fort

By Hafiz Wazir

WANA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Hundreds of militants in northwest Pakistan attacked and captured a paramilitary fort early on Wednesday, and 40 militants and seven soldiers were killed and 20 soldiers missing, the military said.

The militants attacked the fort in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border at about midnight on Tuesday and fighting went on for hours, military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas said.

"About 200 miscreants attacked from different directions," Abbas said.

"They were able to breach one of the walls of the fort. In the process, there were about 40 militants dead and seven FC personnel were reported killed," he said, referring to the Frontier Corps paramilitary force.

Fifteen soldiers escaped and 20 were missing, he said.

A spokesman for the militants, Maulvi Omar, said they had killed 16 soldiers and captured 12 in the attack. He said only two of his men were killed.

"The fort is still in our control," he said.

Security forces have been battling al Qaeda-linked militants in South Waziristan for several years.