Islamabad, Jan 14 (IANS): Five soldiers were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Pakistan's Balochistan province, local media reported.

The IED planted by the roadside in the Buleda area detonated on Saturday evening when the vehicle of the security personnel was passing through the area, Dawn news reported, quoting Makran Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani as saying.

The IED explosion was followed by an intense exchange of fire between security personnel and the terrorists, said the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Domki, Home Minister Mir Zubair Ahmed Jamali strongly condemned the incident

Four militants were killed in two intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan districts.

A clearance operation has been carried out to eliminate the presence of terrorists from the area, the statement said.