On Thursday, Pakistan responded to the air space violation by Tehran with Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar. Under the operation, airstrikes were carried out on terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Siestan-o-Balochistan province.
Iran launched airstrikes on Pakistan and said they were carried out to target the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan. Earlier, Tehran targeted Syria and Iraq with multiple attacks – stating the strikes were a response to terrorist attacks on its territory.
The Foreign Office of Pakistan, in its official statement, said that over the past several years, Pakistan consistently shared its serious concerns about Pakistani-origin terrorists who called themselves Sarmachars, sheltering in the safe havens and sanctuaries on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. The statement added that the so-called Sarmachars continued to kill innocent Pakistanis, and the morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these terrorists.
The FO continued to state that the successful execution of the highly complex operation was a testimony to the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces, and the action was a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend national security.
Pakistan also reiterated its stance on Pak-Iran relations and said that it has full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. FO briefed that the objective of Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar was in pursuit of Pakistan’s security and national interest.
Further commenting on cross-border relations, the FO called Iran a brotherly country and added that the people of Pakistan have great respect for the Iranian people and Pakistan has always emphasised dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including terrorism.