Nine Pakistani workers on Saturday lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city of Iran. Three others were injured in the incident.
The assailants reportedly entered the auto repair workshop where the victims lived and shot each member.
Among the victims, five hailed from different areas of Alipur in Punjab province and had been working in Iran for the past decade.
Pakistan's Ambassador to Iran also posted on X and condemned the attack. He called upon Iran to extend full cooperation with Pakistani authorities on the matter.
"Deeply shocked by horrifying killing of 9 Pakistanis in Saravan. Embassy will extend full support to bereaved families. Counsel Zahidan is already on his way to incident site & hospital where injured are under treatment. We called upon 🇮🇷 to extend full cooperation in the matter." the envoy said in the post.
Further, the victims' families have reached out to the assistant commissioner's office to facilitate the transfer of the deceased bodies to Pakistan.
Gunfire erupted coinciding with the return of Pakistani and Iranian ambassadors to their roles.
On January 18, Pakistan conducted air strikes on Iran after Iran's strikes on its territory. Iran targeted Jaish al-Adl, labelled a "terrorist" group by Iran.
The events led to diplomatic strains, but both countries decided to de-escalate and resume diplomatic missions.
Foreign Office's response
In response to media queries regarding reports of a terrorist incident killing Pakistani nationals in Iran, the Foreign Office's (FO) spokesperson said, “It is a horrifying and despicable incident and we condemn it unequivocally. We are in touch with Iranian authorities and have underscored the need to immediately investigate the incident and hold to account those involved in this heinous crime."
She said, "Our consul in Zahedan is on the way to the hospital where injured people are being treated and will reach there in a few hours due to long distances and security imperatives involved. He will also meet local authorities, and among other things, impress upon them the urgent need for strong action against the perpetrators of this crime."
The spokesperson added, "We are fully seized of this grave matter and are taking all necessary measures in this regard. The embassy will do its best to repatriate dead bodies at the earliest. Such cowardly attacks cannot deter Pakistan from its determination to fight terrorism.”
