A senior intelligence source confirmed that Pakistan had carried out strikes against anti-Pakistan militant groups inside Iran.
Agencies/JK News Today
Pakistan on Thursday morning carried out retaliatory military strikes in Iran’s Siestan-o-Baluchistan, killing a “number of terrorists”. The attack comes two days after Iran carried out missile and drone strikes targeting terrorists inside Pakistan’s territory. Several explosions were heard in Iran’s Saravan city, AFP reported.
Here are the top updates on the Iran-Pakistan conflict:
- “This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran. A number of terrorists were killed during the Intelligence-based operation – codenamed Marg Bar Sarmachar,” Pakistan said in a statement.
- India has called the tensions a matter between Iran and Pakistan. “This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in self-defence,” New Delhi said in a statement.
- Pakistan’s foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has told Iran that the missiles and drones attack on Tuesday, targeting two bases of the Balochi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan’s border town of Panjgur in Balochistan province, was a serious breach of the country’s sovereignty. “Expressing Pakistan’s unreserved condemnation of the attack, the foreign minister added that the incident has caused serious damage to bilateral ties between Pakistan and Iran,” the statement said. He also said that Pakistan had the right to respond to the provocation.
- The United States has condemned Iran’s strikes in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan. US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said: “We do condemn those strikes. We’ve seen Iran violate the sovereign borders of three of its neighbors in just the past couple days. And I will say that the difference in the context very much matters. I think it is a little rich for at one – on one hand, Iran to be the leading funder of terrorism in the region, the leading funder of instability in the region; and on the other hand, claim that it needs to take this action – these actions to counter terrorism.”
- Miller, however, had hoped for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. “We think, we hope that that’s an issue that can be peacefully resolved,” he said.
- China has asked both Pakistan and Iran to show restraint. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: “We call on the two sides to exercise restraint, avoid actions that escalate the tension and jointly keep the region peaceful and stable”.
- Pakistan on Wednesday recalled its ambassador to Iran. It was planning to suspend high-level bilateral visits. “We have also informed them (Iran) that Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, now on a visit to Iran, may not return for the time being. We have also decided to suspend all high-level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days,” the government said. It also described the attack as an unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
- Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said his country had warned Pakistan to prevent cross-border operations against Iran. He said Iran had attacked the Iranian terrorist group Jaish al-Adl. “None of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones,” he said at Davos.
- Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf called the attack worrisome. “After India and Afghanistan, the serious deterioration of relations with Iran is very concerning and worrisome which speaks volumes about our failed foreign and defense policies,” it said.
- Former PM Shehbaz Sharif said the attack was against the spirit of our friendship and principles of good neighbourliness. “It undermines the historic relationship between our two countries,” he said.
