Iran launches airstrikes on ‘Sunni militant bases’ in Pakistan

Recently, Iran conducted aerial attacks on Pakistani soil, targeting locations that it claims belong to a Sunni extremist organization. This latest move could escalate the already-present hostilities in the area, which have been heightened due to Israel's military conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The country of Pakistan reported that two children lost their lives and three others were injured in an unexpected attack that occurred on Tuesday evening. It was described as a breach of their airspace that was unwarranted and uncalled for.

There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Iran's announcement, as reports about it from state media disappeared quickly. Nevertheless, Iran's strike on Pakistan, a country with nuclear weapons, puts their diplomatic relations at risk. Both nations have always viewed each other with skepticism, which adds to the tension.

After a suicide bombing attack claimed by Islamic State killed more than 90 individuals, Tehran reacted by launching airstrikes on Iraq and Syria, which was followed by an attack on Iran.

According to reports from Iran's state-run IRNA news agency and state television, they used missiles and drones in attacking the Jaish al-Adl militant group in Pakistan. Press TV, which is the English-language section of Iran's state television, credited Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for carrying out the strike.

The "Army of Justice" or Jaish al-Adl, is a group of Sunni militants that was established in 2012. They mainly operate in Pakistan, just across the border. In the past, they have taken responsibility for carrying out bomb attacks and abducting Iranian border police.

Iran has battled against militants in border regions in the past, but they've never conducted a missile and drone assault on Pakistan until now. According to Iranian sources, the strikes took place in the Balochistan state's mountainous terrain.

The foreign ministry of Pakistan strongly criticized the strikes in a message using forceful language.

The statement proclaimed that the actions taken by Iran in violating Pakistan's airspace without a reason and causing the death of two innocent children and injuring three girls are deeply unacceptable. They warned that this kind of disregard for Pakistan's independence could come with severe consequences.

The statement mentioned that Pakistan has consistently acknowledged that terrorism poses a collective threat to the region and necessitates coordinated efforts. Taking independent actions goes against the principles of good relations with neighboring nations and has the potential to severely damage mutual trust and reliability.

According to a couple of security officials from Pakistan, a mosque in Balochistan's Panjgur district got hit by the Iranian attacks. This mosque is located approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Iranian border. The authorities spoke on the condition of anonymity, indicating they were not allowed to discuss this matter with media representatives.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, met with Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. However, an attack occurred during their meeting, and it is unknown what the two gentlemen talked about.

For over 20 years, Balochistan has experienced a less intense conflict fueled by Baluchi nationalists. These nationalists were demanding a portion of the province's resources originally, but later shifted to aiming for independence and ended up starting an insurgency.

Iran has believed for a considerable length of time that Pakistan, which is mostly Sunni, harbors insurgents who may have been sponsored by their regional foe, Saudi Arabia. But, Iran and Saudi Arabia came to a peaceful settlement, facilitated by Chinese officials, in March of last year, which resulted in the easing of strained relationships.

At the same time, Pakistani security forces have been subjected to assaults by militants who have come over from Iran. In the month of April in the year 2023, four soldiers belonging to Pakistan were killed in the province of Balochistan due to a militant attack that originated from across the Iranian border.

On Monday evening, Iran launched missiles towards northern Syria with the aim of attacking the Islamic State group. They also targeted what they referred to as an Israeli “spy headquarters” in Iraq, specifically near the United States consulate in the city of Irbil.

Iraq denounced the attacks that resulted in the death of several non-combatants as a clear violation of the country's autonomy and withdrew its envoy from Tehran on Tuesday.