Pakistan's military attack on militant hideouts in Iran
Pakistan announced military strikes against separatist militant hideouts inside Iran.
According to reports published in state-run news agencies, on the evening of Tuesday, January 16, the Revolutionary Guards attacked and destroyed two headquarters of the "Jaish al-Adl" group in Pakistani territory using missiles and drones.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry also recalled its ambassador from Tehran yesterday, Wednesday, January 17, in response to Iran's missile attack on Pakistani soil, and announced that the Iranian ambassador cannot return to Islamabad for the time being. The Pakistani Foreign Minister also announced in a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: "Islamabad has the right to respond to Tehran's unjustified violation of its airspace, and this right is reserved for us."
"Jalil Abbas Jilani, while unconditionally condemning the Iranian airstrike on Pakistani soil, said: "This incident has seriously damaged the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran. This attack is not only a serious violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, but also a gross violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran."
Islamabad, in line with warnings it had issued the previous day, announced today, Thursday, January 17, that it had carried out a series of precise, coordinated, and targeted military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province.
Regarding the above operation, which was called "Death to the Sarmchar", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement stating that this action was taken based on credible information about the imminent activities of the "Sarmchars" (guerrilla fighters).
The statement also states: "Over the past several years, Pakistan has always shared with Tehran serious concerns about Pakistani-origin terrorists who call themselves leaders, as well as their sanctuaries and hideouts in uncontrolled spaces inside Iran, in its interactions with Iran, and has also shared with Iran numerous cases of the presence and activities of these terrorists, along with tangible evidence."
The deputy chief of police for Sistan and Baluchestan confirmed the explosions this morning and stated: "Three women and four children were killed in the explosion, all of whom were non-Iranian nationals." Hours later, news broke that two men had been killed in a border village in Saravan, bringing the total number of deaths to nine.
Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US State Department, also condemned Iran's attacks that targeted Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan on Monday and Tuesday, and announced: "Tehran has violated the sovereign borders of three of its neighboring countries in the past few days."
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also announced in a speech that Iran's attacks on Pakistan were aimed at destroying the headquarters of the Jaish al-Adl group, and that Tehran respects Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but will not allow Iran's national security to be played with.
