Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran and the strike inside Pakistani territory, which resulted in the death of two innocent children while injuring three girls.
In a statement, MOFA said: "This violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences."
The statement reads: "It is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan's strong protest has already been lodged with the concerned senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.
Also Read: Pakistan denounces terror assault at vicinity of Soleimani's Tomb in Iran
The foreign office spokesperson said that the Iranian Charge d’affaires has been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey our strongest condemnation of this blatant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and that the responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran."
🔊: PR NO. 1️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 16, 2024
Pakistan’s Strong Condemnation of the Unprovoked Violation of its Air Space
🔗⬇️https://t.co/TAWRqC7qMy pic.twitter.com/oqi3tvAOso
Pakistan has always said terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region that requires coordinated action. Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence, MOFA spokesperson said.
It is pertinent to note that on 20th January 2023, Pakistan summoned the Irani Ambassador for terrorists from Iran involved in the attack on security forces in Panjgur.
Iran's 'attack' inside Pakistan
Iran allegedly launched attacks in Pakistan on Tuesday targeting what it described as two bases of Baloch group Jaish al-Adl, state media reported, potentially further raising tensions in the Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Iranian state media reported that the bases were "hit and destroyed" by missiles and drones, without elaborating.
Other media reports claimed that Iran's Revolutionary Guards carried out the "ballistic missile strikes" at multiple locations on Iran-Pakistan border. An open-source intelligence monitor claimed the Revolutionary Guards announced they carried out the attack using ballistic missiles as well as "one-way suicide drones" against the “anti-Iran terrorist groups”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has announced that it just carried out an Operation utilizing Ballistic Missiles and One-Way “Suicide” Drones against 2 Headquarters used by “Anti-Iranian Terrorist Groups” on the Territory of Western Pakistan near the Border with…
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 16, 2024
The Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni group, has allegedly conducted several attacks and suicide bombings against the Iranian military since 2012 and is reportedly designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by not just Iran, but also Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.
Confusion followed the announcements, as some reports soon disappeared from the Iranian state media.
Video of the aftermath of IRGC missile and drone attack in #Pakistan is released by Baluchi activists. Two children were killed and three women wounded when the houses of anti Islamic Republic Baluchi militants were targeted inside Pakistan pic.twitter.com/U4gynTl4Ed
— Fazel Hawramy (@FazelHawramy) January 16, 2024
Where is Pangjur?
As per media reports, Chedgi is a border town connecting Panjgur with Iran. which is 95km from Panjgur city. It is located near. Mashkel river.
It is relevant to note that in 2023 the then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated the Border Sustenance Markets Project raising hopes of prospering businesses and revenue generation among the local people as well as for the country.
Chedgi among border areas along with Gabd, Mashkel, Washuk, and Taftan wherein both governments aimed to boost trade ties.
Earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the "spy headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday, while the elite force said they also struck in Syria against the Islamic State.
The strikes come amid concerns about the escalation of a conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began on Oct. 7, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
"In response to the recent atrocities of the Zionist regime, causing the killing of commanders of the Guards and the Axis of Resistance ... one of the main Mossad espionage headquarters in Iraq's Kurdistan region was destroyed with ballistic missiles," the Guards said in a statement.
Reuters could not independently verify the report. Israeli government officials were not reachable for immediate comment.
Iran had vowed revenge for the killing of three members of the Guards in Syria last month, including a senior Guards commander, who had served as military advisers there.
Since the Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas fighters into Israeli territory and the ensuing Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, more than 130 fighters of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah have been killed in hostilities.
"We assure our nation that the Guards' offensive operations will continue until avenging the last drops of martyrs' blood," the Guards' statement said.
