ISLAMABAD, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Six security personnel were killed and six others were injured after militants attacked security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, security sources said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. local time on Monday (GMT 0830 Monday), when militants opened fire on army personnel in Kurram district, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Security forces returned fire, and the exchange continued until 7:50 p.m. (GMT 1450 Monday), the sources added.

The bodies of the slain personnel had not yet been recovered from the site due to the intensity of the clash and darkness.

Six injured personnel were safely evacuated and shifted to a nearby hospital.

The sources added that two Frontier Corps parties were dispatched to support the deployed troops, while artillery shells were fired at suspected militant positions.

Preliminary reports indicated that two militants were killed and two others injured, though no bodies or wounded militants had been recovered so far, the sources said.

The sources added that local elders had moved toward the incident site to help retrieve the soldiers' bodies. Enditem