On Friday, a senior commander of the Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) militant group was killed in a military operation conducted by Iran’s forces inside of Pakistani territory. The killing of Ismail Shahbakhsh and some of his companions came just one month after both countries conducted air strikes on each other, which resulted in an escalation in tension between the two nations.
According to Tasnim news agency, a group of military aircraft from the Pakistani Air Force took off at 4:30 a.m. local time and carried out seven precision missile attacks on terrorist hideouts in the mountainous areas of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province. The aircraft used precision-guided munitions, including killer drones, rockets, loitering munitions, and stand-off weapons to destroy the terrorist bases. According to the military, all targets were successfully hit, and maximum care was taken to avoid civilian casualties. The terrorists of the Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front, who are blamed for several attacks on Iran, were reportedly taking shelter in the targeted areas.
In response to the terrorist attack by Pakistan, Iran’s IRGC (Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps) launched missile and drone strikes in the same area on Saturday. According to the IRGC, the strikes were carried out in retaliation for a recent terrorist attack on the police station of Rask City in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan.
The IRGC said the missile and drone attacks destroyed two “important headquarters” of Jaish al-Adl. The terrorist group is an armed separatist movement against the Iranian government and is considered by Tehran to be part of the Islamic State (IS) terror organization. However, IS has vehemently denied the allegation.
Iran has long been concerned that anti-Iran terrorist groups are using Pakistani soil to attack it. Likewise, Pakistan has been concerned that terrorists from Iran’s Baloch minority are also using their territory to attack the country. The deteriorating security situation along the nearly 900km (559 miles) border has been a source of tension between the two nations.
Despite the heightened tensions, both countries have maintained cordial ties recently. Both leaders have met multiple times, and their navies have held joint drills in the Gulf. The United Nations has urged the two nations to exercise maximum restraint in exchanging military strikes.
Amid the tense atmosphere, there are hopes that both countries will soon reach an agreement to de-escalate tensions and end the hostilities. A local security analyst believes that things will take a while to calm down, but it is not impossible. However, he warns that further escalation could significantly affect the countries’ regional and international standing. He suggests that both sides must act wisely and keep their eyes on the goal of bringing peace and stability to their respective regions. He also believes that it is vital for both nations to continue the dialogue to resolve their issues.
