Islamabad  - Three paramilitary soldiers were killed and five more wounded on Saturday in a shootout between security forces and suspected Islamic militants in Pakistan's western province of Balochistan, officials said.

The predawn firefight broke out when the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) came under heavy fire from a militant hideout on the outskirts of Dalbandin, a town located about
60 kilometres from the Iranian border, FC spokesman Major Shahid told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa.

One attacker died in the exchange of fire that continued for about four hours, while his comrades managed to flee from the scene.

The assailants were believed to be members of Jundullah (Army of God), a Sunni Muslim organization that has close links with the al- Qaeda terrorist network.

The group mainly operates in border areas between Iran and Pakistan. It is also involved in an ongoing insurgency in Iran's Sistan province. (dpa)