ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani soldiers were killed in gunfire by militants in the country's northwest on Wednesday, the Pakistani military said, adding that it was carried out from "inside Afghanistan."
Pakistan has witnessed scores of such attacks in the recent years, most of which have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban and Daesh. Both organizations have been emboldened by the Taliban resurgence in the neighboring Afghanistan, where Pakistani militants are still believed to be hiding.
Before the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan often accused each other of turning a blind eye to militants operating along their porous border. Both deny the charges.
The Pakistani military said the militants were attempting to cross the fence on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Kurram tribal district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
"[Pakistani] troops initiated a prompt response and thwarted the attempted illegal crossing by engaging the terrorists," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military's media wing, said in a statement.
"However, during intense fire exchange, Lance Naik Asad, resident of Kurram, age 24 years and Sepoy Asif, resident of Lakki Marwat, age 21 years embraced shahadat (martyrdom)."
Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by militants for activities against Pakistan and expects that the interim Afghan government would not allow such activities in the future, the statement read.
"Pak Army is determined to guard Pakistan's frontiers against the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," it added.
Wednesday's attack came a day after unidentified gunmen ambushed a police patrol and killed four before fleeing the scene in Lakki Marwat, a town in the same province.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.