Pakistan has carried out a decision that raises concern of further escalation of the tensions and violence that have been spreading across the Middle East and Asia since the 7 October attacks by Hamas and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The country has launched retaliatory strikes against militants in Iran, in an apparent response to attacks by Tehran two days ago targeting sites within Pakistan’s borders belonging to a Sunni separatist militant group.
Thursday’s retaliatory bombings were the first time that Pakistan has responded with comprehensive military action against its neighbour.
A statement by Pakistan’s foreign office early Thursday confirmed that Pakistan had undertaken “a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran.
Codenamed “Marg Bar Sarmachar” (Death to Saramchar), the so-called operation resulted in the death of a “number of terrorists”, Pakistan said, without specifying how many people had been killed.
Pakistan had already condemned Tuesday’s attacks, which killed and injured at least six people, as “illegal” and had warned Tehran of “serious consequences”.
Pakistan also downgraded its diplomatic relations with Iran.
The missile and drone strikes by Iran were in response to a suicide bombing carried out by Isis-K, the Afghan branch of Islamic State, which killed 85 Iranians in the south-eastern city of Kerman on 3 January. Iran had also carried out strikes against Syria, Iraq and Kurdistan.
Iran has long accused Pakistan of allowing separatist terrorists to hide out in the border region of Balochistan, which was targeted in the strikes.
Tuesday’s strike into Pakistan was the first time Iran had struck so severely inside the nation’s sovereign territory. Ironically, the strike came as Pakistan and Iran’s naval forces were in the midst of a joint exercise designed to underscore the close security cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran on Wednesday, with the foreign ministry describing the airstrike as an “unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran … inside Pakistani territory”.
“It is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran,” the ministry said.
Strikes Taken In Light Of Credible Intelligence
The Pakistani ministry statement justified the strikes on Iranian territory by saying that they were taken “in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities.”
The statement said, “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.
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 action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats.”
It added that Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised.
Meanwhile, at least three women and four children have been killed in Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes on militants in Iran.
Several missiles hit a border village in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province, a local security official told Iranian state media, the news wire reported.
The official added that none of the women and children were Iranian nationals.
Iran’s official news agency meanwhile reported that “several explosions have been heard in several areas around the city of Saravan”, quoting a provincial official.
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