Iran bombs two bases of the “Army of Justice” group in Pakistan… How did Islamabad respond?
Official Iranian media sources stated that Iran conducted the attacks under the pretext of protecting national security, resulting in the destruction of two main bases of the Justice Army in the Balochistan region of southwest Pakistan, according to Iranian official media.
The attack led to the destruction of two key bases of the Justice Army in the Balochistan region of southwest Pakistan, according to Iranian official media. According to Reuters, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that two children were killed and three others were injured in the attack, expressing its strong protest by summoning senior Iranian diplomats in Islamabad for this “unjustifiable violation of Pakistani airspace.”
The statement added, “This violation of Pakistani sovereignty is entirely unacceptable and could have serious consequences.” It went on to say, “What is most concerning is that this illegal act occurred despite several communication channels between Pakistan and Iran.”
Pakistan’s strong protest was conveyed to the relevant Iranian official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, and the Iranian chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to express Pakistan’s strong condemnation of this violation. The statement emphasized that Iran bears direct responsibility for the consequences of the attack.
The statement also highlighted Islamabad‘s consistent stance that terrorism represents a common threat to all regional countries and requires coordinated action. Such unilateral actions, it noted, are inconsistent with good neighborly relations and could seriously undermine bilateral trust.
The Justice Army was attributed to carrying out an armed attack last month on a police headquarters in the city of Rask in the Sistan and Baluchestan province of southeastern Iran, resulting in the death of 11 policemen and injuries to others.
The Justice Army claims to defend the rights of the Baloch people and Sunni communities and is listed as a terrorist organization in Iran. The group has carried out several attacks against Iranian security forces since its establishment and has been on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations since 2010.
Iran and Islamabad regularly exchange accusations regarding the alleged use of each other’s territory by militants to launch attacks. However, official intervention from the forces of one country into another is rare.
Last Monday, Iran targeted residential areas in the city of Erbil, northern Iraq, killing several civilians, claiming to have targeted an Israeli Mossad headquarters. Iran also targeted areas in Syria to eliminate terrorists linked to the Kerman attack.
