According to local media sources, Pakistan attacked targets in Iran on Thursday, one day after warning Tehran of “consequences” for its attack on the Jaish al-Adl group’s headquarters.
In the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran, close to the city of Saravan, Pakistan is said to have assaulted the posts of two Baloch separatist organisations, the Balochistan Liberation Front and the Balochistan Liberation Army.
Tuesday saw Iran launch “missile and drone” attacks on the Jaish al-Adl group’s headquarters in the southwest Pakistani state of Balochistan, describing the action as “another decisive step taken by Iran in response to the aggression against the security of our country”.
Pakistan denounced Iran’s “violation of its airspace” and forewarned its neighbour that such actions may have “serious consequences”.
“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
The Ministry stated that Pakistan will not hesitate to retaliate to this “illegal act” and that Iran will bear “squarely” the responsibility for any fallout.
“We have conveyed this message to the Iranian Government. We have also informed them that Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being. We have also decided to suspend all high level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days,” the spokesperson added.
Forming in 2012, Jaish al-Adl is a terrorist organisation that Iran has placed on its blacklist. In the past few years, the group has carried out multiple attacks on Iranian territory.
In the midst of the Middle East crisis between Israel and Hamas and an increase in attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, Iran launched an attack on Pakistani territory, and Islamabad retaliated.
