Pakistan condemns Iran's missile strike on its territory
Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned an Iranian airstrike inside its borders that killed two children, calling it an "unprovoked violation of its airspace". Iranian state media announced on Tuesday that missiles targeted and destroyed two bases belonging to the Balochi terrorist group, Jaish al-Adl, in Pakistan. A statement released by Pakistan's foreign ministry warned that the incident could have "serious consequences".
Why does this story matter?
The Balochi terrorist group has been known to attack Iranian security forces along the border with Pakistan in the past. The strike comes after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards' missile attacks on targets in Iraq and Syria just a day earlier. Regional tensions have soared during the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, drawing in Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon.
Location of attacked bases
The targeted bases were reportedly located in Pakistan's Balochistan province, according to Iran's Nournews -- affiliated with the country's top security body. Jaish al-Adl too confirmed the strike, stating IRG used six drones and rockets to destroy two houses where the family of its fighters lived, The Week reported. Jan Achakzai, information minister of Pakistan's Balochistan province, neither confirmed nor denied the attack, instead advising to "wait for the response of ISPR," referring to the Pakistani military's public relations wing.
Pakistan's statement
Pakistan's statement did not specify the incident's location or the nature of the airspace violation. It, however, said, that it has lodged a protest with Tehran, and that the Iranian mission head in Islamabad was summoned to the foreign affairs ministry. "The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran," Pakistan's statement said, adding that the incident took place despite the existence of several channels of communication with Iran. The Pakistani military's public relations wing is yet to respond.
No official comment from Iran yet
Iran's foreign ministry has not made an official comment. The reports of the attack initially appeared in Iranian state media but later disappeared, The Week reported. Semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies continued to run nearly identical stories. Press TV, the English-language arm of Iranian state television, later attributed the attack to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Authorities did not provide an explanation, but sensitive stories in Iran can suddenly vanish from state media.
What is Jaish al-Adl?
Formed in 2012, Jaish al-Adl is classified as a "terrorist" organization by Iran, operating as a Sunni militant group in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. The group has carried out multiple attacks against Iranian security forces. In December, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for an assault on a police station in Sistan-Baluchistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 police personnel. The region has a history of confrontations between Iran's security forces and Sunni militants.
