2024-01-18T04:53:25+00:00
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/ The Pakistani army carried out strikes during the night in Iran, according to what a Pakistani intelligence official announced on Thursday, in response to Tehran launching strikes against sites in Pakistan, which Islamabad said resulted in the killing of two children.
The senior intelligence source, who is not authorized to provide information to the media, told AFP: “I can only confirm that we carried out strikes against anti-Pakistan armed groups that were targeted inside Iran,” adding that a government statement would be issued at a later time.
Several explosions were heard on Thursday morning in the turbulent southeast of Iran, two days after Tehran carried out strikes against “terrorist targets” in Pakistan.
In a strongly worded statement, issued later by the Pakistani Armed Forces, it said, “The Pakistani army entered Iran and struck and destroyed a number of bases belonging to terrorist separatist groups based in Iran with missiles and drones,” and added, “We note and warn that whoever extends his finger “It will only return to us in pieces, and whoever thinks of attacking us will return reprehensible and defeated.”
Later, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced that army forces carried out a series of military strikes on terrorist hideouts in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
Pakistani intelligence also said that army aircraft entered Iranian airspace at a depth of up to 50 km.
Iranian official media said that three women and four children were killed as a result of explosions in southeastern Iran.
The official Iranian News Agency (IRNA) quoted an official in Sistan-Baluchestan Province as saying that “explosions were heard in several areas around the city of Saravan.”
Pakistani sources explained that the army targeted the “Balochistan Liberation Army” camps inside the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
Within 24 hours, Iran directed its missiles at three countries: Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, and bombed targets there, “not including American interests.”
The Pakistani government described the attack as an “unprovoked violation” of the country’s airspace.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming the attack, which was first announced through Iranian media reports that were later retracted.
The Foreign Ministry statement said that Pakistan strongly condemns the attack on Balochistan province.
It also warned that “this violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty is completely unacceptable and could have serious consequences.”
The attack would increase tensions in the Middle East, which is already troubled by the war launched by Israel against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
It also threatens relations between Iran and Pakistan, which have long viewed each other with suspicion despite maintaining diplomatic relations.