Another five soldiers were critically wounded in the assault on the base in the province of Balochistan, an army statement said cited by Reuters.
At least three militants were killed in retaliatory fire and an operation was underway to apprehend two others, it said.
Saeed Ahmad, a senior government official, said later that the operation had been completed in the cantonment with the killing of all five assailants. But he said troops were still sweeping neighbouring areas to flush out any hidden militants.
Several militants stormed the military base in Balochistan's Zhob district in the early hours, the army said, and three security officials said they hurled grenades into a military mess and then waged a gunbattle lasting several hours.
"Initial attempts by the terrorists to sneak into the facility was checked by soldiers on duty," the army statement said, and "in the ensuing heavy exchange of fire, the terrorists were contained into a small area at the (cantonment) boundary."
Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) claimed responsibility for the assault, saying in a statement it would release pictures and videos of its fighters who took part.
TM/PR
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