On Thursday morning, Pakistan’s military conducted strikes against insurgents operating in Iran. The action comes two days after Tehran hit terrorist targets within Pakistan’s border.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country’s armed forces led a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” in Siestan-o-Baluchistan, according to Fox News.
Pakistan blamed Tehran for a “lack of action” in controlling insurgents operating within their territory, claiming it has enabled them to kill Pakistani civilians without consequence.
The surprise initial attack on Pakistani territory by Iran on Tuesday kick-started the latest tit-for-tat military action. Notably, the confrontation comes at a time when Iran is increasingly being pulled into the conflict in the Middle East. As reported by The Dallas Express, the United States bombed Iranian proxies in Iraq after Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria injured at least three American troops.
The volatile 506-mile border shared by Pakistan and Iran is often where separatist militias operate, which the two sides share as a common foe. As a result, CNN reported, it is rare for either country to attack targets within each other’s borders. Earlier this week, the two countries held a joint naval drill in the Persian Gulf, though it preceded the latest attacks, per The Associated Press.
Despite Pakistan’s incursion, the country says it “fully respects” Iran’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“We have always emphasized dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including the menace of terrorism and will continue to endeavor to find joint solutions,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, per Fox News.
