Pakistan Strongly Denounces Iranian Airstrike on its Territory

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday strongly denounced an Iranian airstrike within its borders, which resulted in the tragic deaths of two children.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs termed the airstrike an “unprovoked breach of its airspace” and issued a warning of retaliation.

The foreign ministry characterised the airstrike as an “unprovoked infringement of its airspace by Iran within Pakistani territory.” It also raised concern that such an illicit act occurred despite the existence of multiple communication channels between Pakistan and Iran.

Following the strike, Pakistan lodged a “strong protest” with a senior official in Iran’s Foreign Ministry in the Iranian capital Tehran and called on the Iranian charge d’affairs, saying the “responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.”

What Caused This Airstrike?

When penpk.com raised this question with senior analyst Talat Masood, he pointed out that the smuggling and illicit activities along the border areas with Iran contribute to Iran’s violations of the international boundary. Iran believes that security officials in the border regions connecting Pakistan with Iran are engaging in unlawful activities.

However, the senior analyst emphasised the need to comprehend the current security situation, both internally and externally, adding that it is crucial to assess how many fronts Pakistan will confront.

Regarding the country’s policies, Masood asked why, despite Pakistan being one of the most populous countries with nuclear capabilities (the sole Islamic state possessing them), the management of state policies has been lacking.

He said the state actors will have to understand the factors behind anti-state activities as well as such border violations by neighbouring states.

Talat raised a question regarding the number of fronts Pakistan can fight, adding that Pakistan needs to create strong policies to handle both internal and external factors.

The senior analyst further said that we need to release our own weaknesses and deficiencies, which is imperative if we genuinely aspire to establish peace and stability in the country.

From Foreign Media

In Balochistan, officials conveyed to CNN that two young girls lost their lives and four other people sustained injuries. This tragic incident unfolded in the village of Koh-e-Sabz in Kulag, situated approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the Panjgur district, on Tuesday evening.

Mumtaz Khetran, the deputy commissioner of the district, revealed that the girls, aged eight and 12, perished in residences impacted by the attack. Khetran also pointed out that the strikes deliberately targeted and struck a mosque near the residential area.

Koh-e-Sabz, positioned around 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Pakistan’s border with Iran, is acknowledged as the residence of Jaish-ul-Adl’s former second-in-command, Mullah Hashim, who met his demise in clashes with Iranian forces in Sarawan, an adjacent Iranian region to Panjgur, in 2018.

In the preceding month, Iran accused Jaish al-Adl militants of launching an assault on a police station in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, resulting in the tragic deaths of 11 Iranian police officers, according to reports from Tasnim.