NB Explains | Iran attacks Pakistan's Jaish al-Adl militant group sparking diplomatic crisis
17 Jan 2024 10:33:02
Islamabad, Jan 17: Sparking a diplomatic crisis, Iran conducted massive airstrikes on Tuesday targeting bases for militant group Jaish al-Adl. This attack has left two children dead and three others sustained injuries in what Pakistan claims to be an "illegal" airstrike. This attack is seen as an unprecedented move by Iran
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency and state television had said that missiles and drones were used in the strikes in Pakistan. Press TV, the English-language arm of Iranian state television, attributed the attack to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. However, after the announcement from Iran, state media reports on it soon disappeared.
Iran wanted to target the bases of the militant group Jaish al-Adl, potentially further raising tensions in a Middle East which is facing crisis due to Hamas and Isarel war in the Gaza Strip. Jaish al-Adl, known as the “Army of Justice,” is a Sunni militant group founded in 2012, operating across the border in Pakistan. The group has a history of claiming responsibility for bombings and abduction of Iranian border police.
Pakistan strongly condemned the violation of its sovereignty, deeming it "completely unacceptable" and warning of potential "serious consequences".
Moreover, Pakistan has summoned the Iranian Charge d'affaires for the "blatant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty".
"Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence," it added.
Tensions between Tehran and Islamabad have often involved accusations of allowing militants to operate from each other's territories, although direct engagement by official forces is rare.
It is worth mentioning the latest development came on the same day when Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that they attacked "Israeli spy headquarters" in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region as a regional conflict as well as against the Islamic State in Syria. The attacks came amid fears of an escalation of the Israel-Hamas war with the entry of Iran from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, also drawing the attention of the United States, Iran's staunch rival and Israel's closest ally.
This also comes a day after External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar visited Iran amid the Iran-backed Houthis attacks taking place in vicinty of India which Jaishankar called it as a "matter of grave concern".
What happened?
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What is Jaish al-Adl?
What did Pakistan say?
"It is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan's strong protest has already been lodged with the concerned senior official in the Iran ministry of foreign affairs in Tehran," the statement read.
Also Read: Uproar over British High Commissioner to Pakistan's visit to PoK!
Moreover, Pakistan has summoned the Iranian Charge d'affaires for the "blatant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty".
"Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence," it added.
Tensions between Tehran and Islamabad have often involved accusations of allowing militants to operate from each other's territories, although direct engagement by official forces is rare.
🔊: PR NO. 1️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 16, 2024
Pakistan’s Strong Condemnation of the Unprovoked Violation of its Air Space
🔗⬇️https://t.co/TAWRqC7qMy pic.twitter.com/oqi3tvAOso
Escalating diplomatic crisis?
This also comes a day after External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar visited Iran amid the Iran-backed Houthis attacks taking place in vicinty of India which Jaishankar called it as a "matter of grave concern".