ISLAMABAD: Four soldiers martyred and five militants were killed in a clash in the country’s northwest, the military said in a statement on Thursday.

The latest violence took place on Wednesday in the South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that shares a border with Afghanistan.

“During the intense fire exchange, four brave sons of soil... having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat (martyrdom)”, the statement said.

Five militants were also killed in the clash, it added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “grief and sorrow” over the martyrdom of the soldiers, his office said in a statement.

“Our war against terrorists will continue until the complete elimination of terrorism from the country,” the statement added.