New Delhi: Pakistan said on Thursday (January 18) that it had conducted overnight strikes on insurgent groups in Iran. It comes two days after Tehran attacked what it called “terrorist targets” inside Pakistan.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said that nine people were killed in this attack. The Al Jazeera news channel cited Iran's interior minister as telling state media that all nine were foreign citizens.

“This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Sistan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran,” a statement by Pakistan's foreign ministry said, adding that a “number of terrorists were killed”.

It added:

“Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves Sarmachars on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists.

“However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so called Sarmachars.”

What has Iran said about the strikes?

IRNA reported that Iran had summoned Pakistan's charge d'affaires to protest Pakistan's attack, and Tasnim, Iran's semi-official news agency, said Iran had sought an explanation from Pakistan.

IRNA also reported explosions in the country's restive southeastern region.

“Several explosions have been heard in several areas around the city of Saravan,” IRNA said, quoting an official in the Sistan-Baluchistan province where the city is situated.

Iran’s semi-official Young Journalist Club news agency had earlier reported that at least three women and four children were among those killed in one of the explosions.

The country’s Mehr news agency said that several people were wounded.

What happened in the Iranian strikes on targets in Pakistan?

On Tuesday, Iran said that it struck bases belonging to Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group in Pakistan.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said that two children were killed in the incident and condemned the strikes as an “unprovoked violation” of its airspace.

On Wednesday, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran and blocked Tehran's envoy from returning to Islamabad following the strikes from Iran.

Other reactions to the attacks

China has said it is willing to help ‘de-escalate’ the situation between Iran and Pakistan.

“The Chinese side sincerely hopes that the two sides can exercise calm and restraint and avoid an escalation of tension,” the AFP news agency quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning as saying.

She added: “We are also willing to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation if both sides so wish.”

Afghanistan's foreign ministry said the violence between the two countries was “alarming” and called on them to “exercise restraint”.

While India spoke about zero tolerance for terrorism and ‘understanding’ a country's need for ‘self-defence’ when Iran conducted its airstrikes, it was conspicuously silent on Pakistan's retaliatory strikes.

“I don't want to comment,” said external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal to repeated questions about Pakistan's counter-strikes at the weekly media briefing on Thursday.

Jaiswal had earlier responded to Iran's strike by saying, “This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism.

“We understand actions that countries take in their self-defence,” he said on Wednesday.

India’s backing of the Iranian action was expected, given that New Delhi had publicly undertaken cross-border operations at least twice, purportedly targeting terrorist camps, in the last ten years.

The first instance involved missile strikes in 2016, and the second included airstrikes in 2019.

This article was updated at 5:05 pm and 4:35 pm with additional information.

With inputs from DW.

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