In retaliatory strikes, Pakistan targets ‘terror hideouts’ in Iran

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, January 18

Tehran summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to protest against Islamabad’s strikes in Iran allegedly against hideouts used by terrorist organisations Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front in an intelligence-based operation codenamed “Marg Bar Sarmachar”.

Editorial: Iran-Pakistan faceoff

Pakistan struck Iranian locations in the neighbouring Sistan-Baluchestan province less than 48 hours after Iran targeted ballistic missiles and drones at two bases of terrorist group Jaish al-Adl (Jandollah) in Balochistan on Tuesday night.

“The precision strikes were carried out using killer drones, rockets, loitering munitions and stand-off weapons. Maximum care was taken to avoid collateral damage,” said Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Public Relations. “The targeted hideouts were being used by notorious terrorists, including Dosta, alias Chairman, Bajjar, alias Soghat, Sahil, alias Shafaq, Asghar, alias Basham, and Wazir, alias Wazi, among others,” it said.

Iran claimed that the missile attack from Pakistan killed nine. Some reports said all were foreign nationals while some claimed that among those killed were three women, four children and two men, who were not Iranians.

However, both countries appeared to be dialling down tensions. Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch described Iran as a brotherly country and said it continued to endeavour to find a joint solution. Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Public Relations also advocated “dialogue and cooperation” to resolve bilateral issues.

Baloch said Pakistan did not want to escalate the situation and hoped that “our adversaries understand this”.

The Iranian strikes in Pakistan were part of a series of attacks carried out in Syria and Iraq as a response to recent terrorist attacks on its territory. Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday night targeted two bases of the Balochi militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s border town of Panjgur in Balochistan province.

Pakistan Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who is currently in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum meet, has cut short his visit “in light of the developments”. Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, who is in Uganda, has also decided to return.

Stand on terror clear, says MEA

• MEA said it had no comments on Pak’s retaliatory strikes on Iran. “We had stated our position on terror on Wednesday & have no more comments,” said MEA’s Randhir Jaiswal.
• On Iranian strikes, the MEA had said, “We have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self-defence.”