In escalating militant violence in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province, seven security personnel were killed on Monday in an ambush by Taliban militia and six civilians reportedly died in a suspected missile attack from a drone.

While the security personnel were ambushed near the strategic Kohat tunnel, the missile attack took place in the militancy hotbed of Miranshah, the capital of the Taliban and al Qaida stronghold of north Waziristan province, officials were quoted by media channels as saying.

The attacks come as Pakistani military has suspended air strikes in the volatile region for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which has raised concerns that insurgents holed up along the Afghan border would have a chance to regroup.

Seven Pakistani security personnel were killed when they were moving from a camp to the posts they had established in mountains near the Kohat tunnel.

The incident came days after Taliban suicide bombers unsuccessfully attempted to target an army camp near the tunnel which links Peshawar, the capital of NWFP to other parts of the province.

Following this, the security forces launched an operation against the militants in the area.

In the second attack, six persons were killed and four injured when a suspected guided missile fired by a drone hit a house in the tribal region.

Local officials said the missile hit the house of Muhammad Naseer alias Sawar Khan at Tappai village, 15 km east of North Agency's headquarters of Miranshah, Sunday afternoon.

The six were killed instantly and the four injured were all women, they said. Local residents said foreigners were often seen coming to the house that was hit by the missile.

The death of any foreigners in the attack has not yet been confirmed. According to senior American officials, Miranshah and much of the North Waziristan province houses large number of Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, Chechens, Uzbecks and Arab militiamen.

Reports said that local Taliban shifted the bodies to an unknown location. This was reportedly the second missile strike by spy planes in Pakistan's tribal belt in as many days.

On Saturday, six persons, including two Arabs, were killed and two others injured when a missile struck a compound in South Waziristan Agency.

US forces based in Afghanistan are believed to have carried out several missile strikes on militant positions in Pakistan's tribal areas in recent months.

While announcing halt in air strikes, Pakistani security forces have warned that any provocations in the Bajour tribal region, a speculated hideout of Osama Bin Laden, would bring an immediate retaliation.

In recent weeks, Pakistani armed forces have been using helicopter gunships and fighter jets to strike at suspected militant hideouts.

According to interior ministry figures, three weeks of fighting in Bajour has left more than 560 militants dead and sent more than 300,000 people fleeing their homes to relief camps.