Four soldiers killed in an attack on Pakistani army base

Another five soldiers were critically wounded in the assault on the base in the province of Balochistan, an army statement said. At least three militants were killed in retaliatory fire and an operation was underway to apprehend two others, it said.

Saeed Ahmad, a senior government official, said later that the operation had been completed in the cantonment with the killing of all five assailants. But he said troops were still sweeping neighbouring areas to flush out any hidden militants.

Several militants stormed the military base in Balochistan's Zhob district in the early hours, the army said, and three security officials said they hurled grenades into a military mess and then waged a gunbattle lasting several hours.