What to Know:
The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Iran’s missile strike on its Balochistan region, calling the attack an “unprovoked violation of its air space” that killed two children. Iran previously stated it was carrying out strikes against the Army of Justice militant group.
The Statement:
In a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Pakistan condemned what it called a “unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran and the strike inside Pakistani territory which resulted in the death of two innocent children while injuring three girls.”
“This violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences.”
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Pakistan’s Strong Condemnation of the Unprovoked Violation of its Air Space
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— Spokesperson ?? MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 16, 2024
Pakistan emphasized that official channels of communication were not used to notify Pakistan of the strikes beforehand, adding that “Pakistan’s strong protest has already been lodged with the concerned senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.”
Likewise, the Iranian Charge d’affaires has been summons “to convey our strongest condemnation of this blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and that the responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.”
The statement ended by saying “Pakistan has always said terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region that requires coordinated action. Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighborly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence.”
The Strike:
Through state media, Iran’s IRGC reported earlier today that it targeted two headquarters of Jaish al-Adl, or the Army of Justice, in Pakistani territory. No other information was provided.
The strike follows an attack by the group against a police station in Rask last month, which left 11 security force members dead and several others wounded.
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The Group:
The Army of Justice is a Salafi extremist, Baloch-nationalist seperatist group that operates in the border region between Iran and Pakistan, which emerged as a splinter group from the People’s Resistance Movement of Iran (PRMI) in 2012 following the execution of its leader by Iran.
The Army of Justice opposes Iran and its government, which it views oppressive and discriminatory against Sunni Muslims, and frequently targets Iranian military forces in the Sistan and Balochestan Province. The group’s most notable attack occurred in February 2019 when a suicide bombing targeting a bus killed over two dozen IRGC members in the border region. Since then, Iran has accused Pakistan of being a safe haven for the group.
Why Does This Matter:
This strikes comes amid two other missile attacks by the IRGC against Syria and Iraq.
In Syria, Iran claimed that its strikes targeted ISIS militants near Aleppo in retaliation to the Kerman suicide bombings earlier this month, which left nearly 100 dead and wounded hundreds of others during a memorial for IRGC General Qassam Soliemani.
There were local claims that one of the missiles landed on a civilian medical clinic outside of Idlib, no casualties reported.
Ballistic missiles originating from Iran targeted several civilian sites in northwestern Syria. One of these sites is a medical clinic in the village of Talita, north of Idlib city, and several civilians were injured as a result of the targeting.#Syria pic.twitter.com/c8NXQ1jjrp
— Abdulkarem Al-Mohammed (@Abdulkarem_Moh9) January 15, 2024
In Iraq, Iran claimed that its strikes targeted an Israeli spy headquarters. Kurdish media and officials have reported that the strikes targeted the home of business mogul Peshraw Dizayee and his family. Last March, Iran also claimed that it targeted Israeli spy centers in Erbil during a missile barrage against the city, which landed in residential areas in the vicinity of the United States Consulate complex.
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— Rudaw (@Rudawkurdish) January 16, 2024
Kurdish officials have regularly denied accusations by Iran that Israeli intelligence is operating in the city. Some international observers have speculated that the attack allows for Iran to make it seem, for the most part to itself, that it is attacking Israeli military and intelligence targets without directly targeting Israel.
These latest series of strikes do, however, showcase the ranges of Iranian ballistic missiles, which could also be considered a show of force to Israel, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah.
