Iran launched unprecedented missile and drone attacks on Tuesday targeting two bases of the Balochi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The strike resulted in the death of two children and left three others injured.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the “key strongholds” of Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan were successfully demolished. The targeted area, known as “Green Mountain,” witnessed a combination of missile and drone attacks.
Tehran has repeatedly accused Jaish al-Adl of using Pakistani soil to launch attacks on Iranian security forces. In response, Pakistan condemned Iran’s actions, calling it an “unprovoked violation of its airspace” and emphasizing the serious consequences it could entail.
The Foreign Office of Pakistan stated, “Pakistan vehemently protests the violation of its sovereignty. It is completely unacceptable and may have serious consequences.” The government lodged a strong protest with Iranian officials and summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires to convey their condemnation.
The statement said that the “illegal act took place despite the existence of several established channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran.”
The missile strikes occurred on the same day when Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar met with the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Iranian president’s representative for Afghanistan also recently visited Islamabad.
While the location of the casualties was not explicitly mentioned, it is suspected that the bases were in Panjgur, Balochistan. Local authorities remained silent, but some reports indicated damage to a mosque and injuries to civilians.
The Foreign Office emphasized the need for coordinated action against terrorism, stating, “Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighborly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence.”
Jaish al-Adl, founded in 2012, is a militant group operating mainly in Pakistan. This marked the first time Iran carried out a missile-and-drone attack on Pakistani soil.
Iran said that the group is responsible for various attacks, including the recent killing of 11 Iranian police officers and previous incidents that Iran attributes to the organization entering from the Pakistani side.
Balochistan province has been a hotspot for terror attacks over the years, with various banned religious terror and separatist outfits using the region to target Pakistan’s security personnel and installations.
