Picture used for illustrative purposes only.

Seven Pakistani soldiers and six assailants were killed on Saturday in an attack on a security post close to the border with Afghanistan, according to the military.

Members of an armed group attacked the security post near Mir Ali in the early hours of Saturday, the army's communication service (ISPR) said in a statement.

"The terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by multiple suicide bombing attacks, which led to (the) collapse of (a) portion of a building," the statement said, adding that five soldiers were killed.

Photos of Lieutenant Colonel Syed Kashif Ali (left) Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar. ISPR

Clashes followed, and during an exchange of fire a 39-year-old lieutenant colonel and a 23-year-old captain died, the ISPR added. All six assailants died in the attack.

Later during the day, a newly formed militant group, Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

A clearance operation is still underway in the area, the ISPR said, adding that the "security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack and paid tribute to the troops who were "martyred” in the attack.

Residents in Waziristan, an area bordering Afghanistan in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told Reuters an explosion shook doors and damaged windows during the attack.

Pakistani government and security officials say attacks have risen in recent months, many of them claimed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistani (TTP) and launched from Afghan soil.

Agencies