(Cupventi.com) – Pakistan strongly criticized Iran on Wednesday and issued a stern warning about potential repercussions following Tehran’s airstrikes in Pakistan, resulting in the tragic deaths of two children.
In a formal communication to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry expressed its vehement condemnation of the attack, summoning an Iranian diplomat in Islamabad to emphasize the severe violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. The official statement declared, “The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.”
While Iran claimed that the airstrikes targeted bases of the militant separatist group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, a Pakistani intelligence report contradicted this, stating that the strike caused the deaths of a 6-year-old girl and an 11-month-old boy, with three women injured. The incident has strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The attack on Pakistan came shortly after Iran conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq and Syria, escalating tensions in the already volatile Middle East. The situation adds to the heightened regional unrest due to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Despite the strain in diplomatic relations, both Iran and Pakistan seemed cautious about escalating hostilities.
Iran justified its actions by stating that the Revolutionary Guard targeted Jaish al-Adl’s bases, using bomb-carrying drones and rockets. Jaish al-Adl, seeking an independent Baluchistan and operating across Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, claimed that the attack targeted homes of their fighters’ wives and children, resulting in casualties.
The use of drones in the cross-border attack is unprecedented, raising concerns about destabilization and setting a dangerous precedent with potential reciprocal implications, according to a senior Pakistani security official. Analysts suggest that the Pakistani government will carefully consider potential retaliation against Iran.
Jaish al-Adl, founded in 2012 and primarily operating in Pakistan, has a history of bombings and kidnappings, including an attack on a police station in southeastern Iran in December, resulting in the deaths of 11 people. The recent missile-and-drone attack on Pakistan marks a new dimension in the conflict between Iran and the militant group.