Pakistan calls Iran a 'brotherly neighbour' hours after launching airstrikes that killed 9
The Iranian village, Haq Abad (Shamsar) was reportedly hit by Pakistani air strikes | Social media
Pakistan on Thursday (Jan 18) struck inside Iran'sSistan and Baluchestan province a day after Iranian strikes targeted a jihadist group based in Pakistan's Balochistan province. The strikes killed seven people, including three women, Iranian state media reported.
The death toll subsequentlyrose to nine, up from seven earlier. "Two men were also killed in the missile attack this morning in one of the border villages of Saravan, bringing the death toll to nine," the official IRNA news agency said quoting Alireza Marhamati, deputy provincial governor of Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province.
According to a statement by Pakistan'sForeign Office (FO), a series of "highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes" were conducted thatkilled several terrorists during theoperation codenamed 'Marg Bar Sarmachar'.
A security source cited by Iran's Mehr News agency had earlier said that a total of seven people were killed in the missile attack launched by Pakistan on a border village. All seven people were described as 'foreign nationals'. They reportedly included three women and fourchildren.
Iran on Tuesday (Jan 17) launched attacks in Pakistan targeting the bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan which prompted the downgrading of diplomatic ties between Islamabad and Tehran.
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The Foreign Office statement on Thursday morning said: "Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves Sarmachars on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists."
Also watch |Pakistan hits militant targets in Iran day after missile strikes in Balochistan
"However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars."
The statement stressed that Pakistan "fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran", adding "the sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised".
"Iran is a brotherly country and the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the Iranian people. We have always emphasised dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including the menace of terrorism and will continue to endeavour to find joint solutions," it concluded.