Pakistan has targeted at least seven locations of Baloch militants deep inside Iran, in an intelligence-based operation dubbed “Marg Bar Sarmachar” that focused on “terrorist hideouts” in the Siestan-o-Baluchistan province.
This attack comes a day after Pak Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani told his Iranian counterpart that Islamabad has a ‘right to respond’ in the wake of missile attacks on militant bases in Balochistan. A day earlier, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran to protest at a “blatant breach” of its sovereignty. Iran’s foreign minister said it hit militants in “missile and drone” strikes. State media said Iranian missiles struck two bases of the Sunni Muslim group Jaish al-Adl, designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the US.
“Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani-origin terrorists calling themselves Sarmachars on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists,” the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement. “However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so called Sarmachars,” it added.
Earlier, Pakistan said a violation of its airspace resulted in the deaths of two children. Only militants were hit, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Forum. In a phone call with Amir Abdollahian, Pakistani counterpart Jilani said the incident has caused “serious damage to bilateral ties between Pakistan and Iran.”
“The Foreign Minister added that Pakistan reserved the right to respond to this provocative act,” the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said. Iran’s foreign minister meanwhile stressed Tehran’s respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty. “Iran’s security has been repeatedly targeted by Jaish al- Adl terrorist group from Pakistani soil and we are hopeful that stronger security cooperation between the two countries continue,” Abdollahian said, according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.
Pakistan and Iran have in the past had rocky ties, but the strikes are the highest-profile cross-border intrusion in recent years. The strikes were launched a day after similar attacks carried out by Tehran inside other neighbours, Iraq and Syria. Baghdad recalled its ambassador from Tehran after Iran’s state-backed media said it had hit an Israeli espionage centre.
Provincial officials in Pakistan said two children were killed and several others injured in strikes near the Iran border. The violation was unprovoked and unacceptable, said Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. Pakistan reserved “the right to respond to this illegal act”, a message it had conveyed to the Iranian government, she said. Pakistan would not allow Iran’s ambassador, currently visiting his home country, to return, Baloch said.