Pakistan launches ‘precise’ military strikes on Iran

Pakistan has hit Iran with “highly coordinated” military strikes, a little more than 24 hours after Iranian air strikes in Balochistan, further raising tensions between the neighbours and sparking fears of a broader conflict.

On Thursday morning, according to a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan conducted what it called an “intelligence-based operation” against hideouts of armed groups in the Sistan-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.

“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,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“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 Sarmachars. This action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats.”

The Pakistani response came a day after Iran launched air strikes using “drones and missiles” against Jaish al-Adl, an armed group, near Panjgur city in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, bordering Iran. Tehran has accused the Jaish al-Adl of multiple attacks in the past.