Islamabad  - At least eight members of Pakistan's security forces were killed and four others were injured Saturday in a suicide bombing at a paramilitary camp in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a police official said.

The blast occurred in the upmarket residential area of E-7, where the paramilitary troops from the Frontier Corps (FC) were deployed to guard several embassies, UN offices and diplomatic residences in the area.

"It was carried out by a lone suicide bomber. Eight people, all of them from FC, are killed while four are injured. No one is missing," Bin Yamin, Islamabad's Deputy Inspector General Police Investigation, told reporters at the scene.

"We have recovered the legs of the attacker and are looking for his head," he said, adding that seven to eight kilograms of explosives were used in the blast

Earlier, Yamin had put the numbers of injured at around one dozen.

Aaj television reported that at least 10 troops were killed and five wounded in the bombing.

The suicide bomber struck the FC barracks when the soldiers were having their evening meal.

Yamin said there were 32 FC soldiers inside the barracks when the attack took place, though he had earlier put the number at 24.

Pakistan's top security official, Rehman Malik, said the bomber managed to penetrate because the guard on duty left his post to have the meal.

The troops apparently fired into the air in panic following the incident and even tried to target a media van as it reached the scene. (dpa)