India says it ‘understands’ Iran’s strikes in Pakistan ‘taken in self-defence’
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson on Wednesday distanced from the ongoing rift between Iran and Pakistan, emphasising the Centre’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and acknowledging a nation’s actions in self-defence.
The MEA official’s statement holds relevance as Iran fired missiles at Pakistan on Tuesday, claiming attacks on its territory by the militant group Jaish ul-Adl in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan.
In a media briefing earlier today, Randhir Jaiswal, while responding to queries regarding the recent Iranian air strikes in Pakistan, said, “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 self-defence.”
The MEA official’s statement comes hours after a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was shot dead in the country’s restive southeastern province that borders Pakistan and Afghanistan. This attack followed Iranian strikes at two bases of the militant group Jaish ul-Adl in Balochistan on Tuesday.
In now-deleted reports, state-run Iranian media said that “precision missile and drone strikes” were aimed at two strongholds of the Sunni terrorist group Jaish al-Adl (known as Jaish al-Dhulm in Iran). Iran claimed its missile strikes were aimed at militant groups involved in attacks on its territory, but Pakistan has rejected that explanation and strongly condemned the airstrike while warning of retaliation.
Pakistan confirmed the attack, claiming two children were killed, and three others were injured in strikes. The Foreign Office of Pakistan described it as an “unprovoked violation of its airspace” by Iran.
Jaish ul-Adl previously mounted attacks on Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan, as per news agency Reuters.
Pakistan on Wednesday also recalled its ambassador from Iran and suspended all high-level visits in response to Tehran’s air strike on suspected terrorist hideouts in the Balochistan province of Pakistan a day before.