New Delhi: Iran on Thursday issued a statement over the recent incidents of tension with Pakistan. The tension escalated after Pakistan launched strikes on separatist militants inside Iran on Thursday, in a retaliatory attack two days after Tehran said it struck the bases of another group within Pakistani territory.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned Pakistan’s “unbalanced and unacceptable” drone attacks on its territory that killed nine people, including four children, reported Reuters.
The foreign ministry statement said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran condemns Pakistan’s unbalanced and unacceptable drone attack on non-Iranian villagers on the border of the two countries. At the same time, Iran adheres to the policy of good neighbourliness and brotherhood between the two nations and the two governments of Iran and Pakistan,” reported ANI.
Tehran said it was committed to good neighbourly relations with Pakistan, but reminded Islamabad to “adhere to its obligations in preventing the establishment of bases.”
“It does not allow enemies to strain the amicable and brotherly relations of Tehran and Islamabad. Iran considers the security of its people and its territorial integrity as a red line and strongly expects the friendly and brotherly government of Pakistan to adhere to its obligations in preventing the establishment of bases and the deployment of armed terrorist groups on its soil,” it added.
Pakistan issued a similar statement, saying, “The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest, which is paramount and cannot be compromised,” reported Reuters.
“A number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation,” the ministry said, describing the strikes as a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts”.
Tehran, however, strongly condemned the strikes, saying civilians were killed, and summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires, its most senior diplomat in Iran, to provide an explanation.
“The information received indicates that four children, three women and two men, who were foreign nationals, have been killed in the explosion that occurred in a village,” Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV, the Reuters report added.
Iran said on Tuesday it had hit targets inside Pakistan that it alleged were bases of Jaish al Adl (JAA), reported Reuters.