At least eight people, including a woman and three children, were killed in a blast in a house where suspected foreign terrorists, believed to be Arabs, were making bombs in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region on Saturday.

Officials at Miranshah, the headquarters of the North Waziristan agency, said the blast occurred in a village Moski in Mir Ali, 20 kilometres east of Miran Shah.

However, Army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan confirmed the death of six people, including a woman.

He said the suspects were busy making an improvised explosive device for terrorist activity when the blast occurred.

Al those killed were foreigners. Locals said they were Arabs who were hiding at the residence of local tribeman Misbahur Rehman. However, their identity has not yet been established.