By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) – Four Pakistani soldiers were killed on Friday when terrorists attacked their patrol in the southwestern Balochistan province from across the border in Iran, the military said, adding that contact is being established with Tehran for action against those involved in the assault.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan army's media wing, said in a statement that "a group of terrorists operating from the Iranian side" attacked a routine patrol of Pakistani security forces operating along the border in the Jalgai Sector of the Kech district in Balochistan.

Four soldiers were killed in the attack, the ISPR said, adding that necessary contact with Tehran is being made for effective action against “terrorists on the Iranian side and to prevent such incidents in the future."

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

This was the second incident in three months, as terrorists from across the Pakistan-Iran border attacked security personnel in the remote Panjgur district and killed four soldiers in January.

Later, while strongly condemning the attack, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry urged Iran not to allow "terrorists" to use its soil to launch attacks inside the South Asian nuclear country.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army has been carrying out attacks on security forces in the province, and the military has been working for a long time to eliminate terrorist hideouts in the province.

Mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest, but the poorest province. It is a key route for the $64 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative.

China is also developing the Gwadar port and is involved in other projects in the restive province.