Pakistan launches strikes against militant targets inside Iran

Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, targeting separatist Baloch militants, the Pakistani foreign ministry announced. At the beggining of this week, Iran also said it had attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Tehran has demanded an explanation for the strikes. Iranian media said several missiles hit a village in the Sistan-Baluchestan province that borders Pakistan, killing three women and four children, all non-Iranians.

“A number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said. He described the operation as a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts.

“Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ministry added in its statement.

“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.”

According to Iranian media, Pakistan’s charge’d affaires, its most senior diplomat in Tehran, has been summoned.