Iranian Terrorist Group
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, revealed on Wednesday that Iranian armed forces targeted what he referred to as an “Iranian terrorist group” in Pakistan. This statement came a day after Islamabad reported that the strike had resulted in the tragic deaths of two children.
Amir-Abdollahian, speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, emphasized that the Iranian missiles and drones did not target any Pakistani nationals. Instead, he asserted that the attack was directed at the “so-called Jaish al-Adl group,” which he labeled as an Iranian terrorist organization.
The cross-border raid occurred late on Tuesday and coincided with Tehran’s simultaneous attacks in Iraq and Syria, targeting what Iran claimed were “anti-Iranian terrorist groups.” In response to the strike near the shared border with Pakistan, Islamabad swiftly denounced the action, recalled its ambassador from Iran, and prevented Tehran’s envoy from returning to the Pakistani capital.
Amir-Abdollahian clarified that the Iranian assault on “Pakistan’s soil” was a retaliatory measure against the Jaish al-Adl group, which had allegedly carried out deadly attacks on Iran, particularly in the city of Rask in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. The group, according to the Iranian foreign minister, has sought refuge in parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
In the hours preceding the strike, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had met with Amir-Abdollahian at the Davos Forum. The foreign minister stressed that while Iran respected Pakistan’s sovereignty, it would not permit compromises to its national security, especially in the face of alleged terrorist threats emanating from within Pakistan’s borders. The ongoing situation has heightened diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries.
