Quetta: Two Pakistani Army soldiers died due to the blast of  an improvised explosive device (IED)  in Balochsitan’s Kohlu area, media reports said on Friday.

“Based on credible intelligence, a sanitisation operation was initiated on Feb 10 in the Kohlu area of Balochistan to deny terrorists any liberty of action,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement as quoted by Dawn News.

During the ensuing sanitisation of the area, the ISPR said, an IED exploded close to the leading party.

“Resultantly, two officers — identified as Major Jawad and Captain Sagheer — embraced martyrdom and laid their lives in defence of the motherland against an externally perpetrated threat.”

The ISPR said that a sanitisation operation is under way in the area to apprehend perpetrators and enemies of peace.

“Such cowardly acts by inimical elements cannot sabotage the hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan. Security Forces are determined to neutralise their nefarious designs even at the cost of blood and lives,” the statement concluded.

Earlier, the medical superintendent of the District Healthquarter Hospital (DHQ) Kohlu told Dawn News that an emergency had been imposed at the medical facility.