“Terrorists fire raided a security forces post in Harnai’s Khost area on late Saturday night which was successfully repulsed by soldiers,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Armed attackers attempted to flee after ambushing the forces, the ISPR said.

“Escaping terrorists were pursued into the nearby mountains and an exchange of heavy fire ensued, and as a result, two valiant sons of the soil, Naik Atif and Sepoy Qayyum embraced martyrdom,” it added.

The official handout said the gun battle also left Major Umer injured while causing losses to the terrorists.

“At the eve of 75th Independence Day, security forces remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan,” it said.

An army soldier was martyred in an IED blast in Lower Dir on Saturday as militants stepped up attacks against security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Similarly on Aug 9, four soldiers were martyred in a suicide attack on a military convoy in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.