TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD: Iran’s foreign ministry on Thursday emphasized that it would not allow its enemies to strain its “amicable and brotherly relations” with Islamabad following Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes over an airspace violation by Tehran.
Pakistan targeted precision strikes on terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province earlier Thursday, less than 48 hours after Iran violated its airspace .
According to a statement issued by the military’s media affairs wing, “hideouts used by terrorist organizations namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)” were struck in an intelligence-based operation codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’.
Meanwhile, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that nine people were killed in the attack targeting a village in the city of Saravan, with Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi saying all the dead “were foreign nationals”.
Iran on Tuesday had launched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, Iranian state media reported, prompting strong condemnation from Islamabad and downgrading of diplomatic ties.
The Iranian strikes were part of a series of attacks carried out by Iran in recent days in Syria and Iraq as a response to recent terrorist attacks on its territory. They have heightened concerns about regional stability, particularly amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
In its statement, issued hours after the Foreign Office (FO) announced that Pakistan had carried out “precision military strikes” in Iran, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said “effective strikes” were carried out against hideouts inside Iran used by terrorists responsible for recent attacks in Pakistan.
Iran condemned the strikes, and summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires “to protest and request an explanation from the Pakistani government,” according to a statement by foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani.
However, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a later press release that it was committed to good neighbourly relations with Pakistan while condemning what it said was an “unbalanced and unacceptable drone attack on non-Iranian villagers”.
“At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran adheres to the policy of good neighbourliness and brotherhood between the two nations and the two governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan,” the foreign ministry said, adding that it did not allow enemies to “strain the amicable and brotherly relations” between the two countries “especially when the genocide and crimes of the Zionist regime are the foremost issue affecting the Islamic world”.
Iran stressed that it differentiated between “Pakistan’s friendly and brotherly government and armed terrorists”, adding that it considered the security of its people and its territorial integrity as a “red line” and called on Islamabad to prevent the establishment of “terrorist bases”.
BLA, BLF hideouts targeted in ‘precision strikes’: ISPR
The ISPR said hideouts used by BLA and BLF were successfully struck in the military operation, adding that “precision strikes were carried out using killer drones, rockets, loitering munitions and stand-off weapons” while maximum care was taken to avoid collateral damage.
“The targeted hideouts were being used by notorious terrorists including Dosta alias Chairman, Bajjar alias Soghat, Sahil alias Shafaq, Asghar alias Basham and Wazir alias Wazi, amongst others,” it said.
“Pakistan Armed Forces remain in a perpetual state of readiness to ensure the safety of Pakistan citizens against acts of terrorism,” the army’s media wing stated.
“Our resolve to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan is respected and safeguarded against any misadventure, remains unwavering. We reaffirm our determination to defeat all enemies of Pakistan with the support of the people of Pakistan,” it said.
The ISPR added that “dialogue and cooperation” was deemed prudent in resolving bilateral issues between the two brotherly countries.
Earlier today, the FO said Pakistan undertook a series of “highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” against terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province.
