by Imtiaz Popat
Pakistan on Thursday morning struck terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Siestan-o-Baluchistan province, less than 48 hours after Iran violated its airspace.
According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), Pakistan undertook a series of “highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” and killed a number of rebels during the intelligence-based operation codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’.
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.
The FO statement on Thursday morning 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 rebcalling 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 morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars.