On Thursday morning, according to a report by AP, Pakistan's Air Force struck terrorist hideouts in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province in retaliation, killing four children and three women.
"This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Balochistan province of Iran," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.
This follows an air strike by Iran in Pakistan on Tuesday, triggered by an attack by the Jaish al-Adl terror group. Here is everything we know about the escalating conflict till now.
Iran breaches Pakistan's air defence system: What happened?
Iran breached Pakistan's air defence system, targeting two key strongholds of the terror outfit Jaish al-Adl in Balochistan using precision missile and drone strikes on Tuesday, January 16. This led to the tragic death of two children, according to Pakistani media reports. In a Telegram post, Jaish al-Adl claimed that Iran's Revolutionary Guards used six attack drones to destroy the homes of families of the terrorist group.
Later on Tuesday night, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the attack was "unprovoked" and was a "violation" of its airspace. An official statement by the ministry, released on Wednesday, read that the attack had caused the death of two children and injured three girls.
"This violation of Pakistan's sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences," the statement read.
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It added, "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 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 neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence."
Why did Iran attack Pakistan?
Iran's military action was reportedly in retaliation to the death of 11 Iranian police force members killed by Jaish al-Adl in an attack on a police station in Sistan-Balochistan province in December 2023. Iran suspects that Pakistan, mainly due to its Sunni majority, harbours insurgents, possibly influenced by regional rival Saudi Arabia.
A similar attack had also taken place in July last year, where four policemen were killed while on duty. Two weeks before that, the Jaish al-Adl had also claimed responsibility for a shootout in the province of Sistan-Balochistan where two policemen and four assailants were killed, according to reports by Aljazeera.
Iran suspected that Sunni-majority Pakistan had provided a safe haven for the group. While Iran has carried out moves against terror groups in border areas, the air strike was unexpected.
Iranian ambassador expelled from Pakistan
While Iran has fought against terrorists in border areas, a missile-and-drone attack inside Pakistan is unprecedented. The attack occurred on the same day as a meeting between Iran's foreign minister and Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, raising concerns about communication breakdown.
On Wednesday, Pakistan decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and expelled the Iranian ambassador from the country in response to the drone strikes on alleged terror bases.
Background on Jaish al-Adl
Jaish al-Adl, meaning the Army of Justice, was formed in 2012. It is also called Jaysh al-Dhulm in Iran. Jaish al-Adl comprises Sunni militants from the Jundullah group. The group seeks independence for the ethnic Baloch community residing on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border (Iran's Sistan and Pakistan's Balochistan provinces). This has made it a common target by both governments.
According to a report by Wion, Pakistan has maintained that Jaish al-Adl has no organised presence within its borders. However, it acknowledges the potential presence of militants in remote areas of Balochistan. The region, marked by a longstanding insurgency, remains sensitive due to separatist and nationalist sentiments. Moreover, both Iran and Pakistan have harboured suspicions about each other regarding militant attacks.
Has Pakistan's air space been breached before?
This isn't the first time Pakistan's airspace has been breached. Instances like the US operation against Osama bin Laden in 2011 and India's surgical strike in 2016 against the Jaish-e-Mohammed group were both instances of counter-terrorism operations.
India's stance on the Iran-Pakistan conflict
India has emphasised zero tolerance for terrorism. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "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."
China also released an official statement urging restraint for both countries and highlighting the importance of maintaining peace and stability.
(With agency inputs)
(With agency inputs)
