Islamabad: Four Pakistani soldiers were on Saturday killed in a terrorist attack along the Pakistan-Iran border in the Jalgai sector of Baluchistan's Kech district, according to the military's media wing, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.

An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release said: "On April 1, 2023, a group of terrorists operating from the Iranian side attacked a routine border patrol of Pakistani security forces operating along the Pakistan-Iran Border in Jalgai Sector, District Kech."

"In the attack, unfortunately, four soldiers, including Naik Shair Ahmed, Lance Naik Muhammad Asghar, Sepoy Muhammad Irfan and Sepoy Abdur Rasheed, were critically injured" and were later pronounced dead.

The ISPR said that "necessary contact" with the Iranian side was being made for "effective action against terrorists" on their territory and to prevent such incidents in the future, according to Dawn.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief over the incident, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The PM extended his condolences to the families of those killed and offered prayers for them.

"The sons of the soil are laying down their lives for the defence and protection of the country," he said. PM Shehbaz maintained that ridding the country of terrorism was the national agenda.

"We will rest after defeating the menace of terrorism."

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also condemned the attack and paid tribute to those killed.

"The sons of the country are laying down their lives to protect their land, the whole nation salutes them, the nation is united in the war against terrorism," he tweeted, adding that "this scourge will be eradicated," Sanaullah said as quoted by Dawn.

Four security personnel were in January killed during "terrorist activity" from across the Pakistan-Iran border in Balochistan's Panjgur district, according to Dawn.

The incident was roundly condemned by Pakistan's senior officials and the Foreign Office had asked Iran to punish the culprits and ensure a thorough investigation.