AT least seven people have been killed after Pakistan pounded Iranian “terrorist hideouts” in a wave of revenge missile strikes.
The airstrikes on the Sistan and Baluchestan province on Thursday morning come days after an Iranian drone strike left two children dead.
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The latest strikes add to exploding tensions in the Middle East as the Israel and Hamas war rages on and Iran-backed Houthi rebels cause chaos in the Red Sea.
A deputy governor of the Sistan and Baluchestan province, Ali Reza Marhamati, said the dead from Pakistan’s airstrikes included three women and four children.
Militant group HalVash shared images online that appeared to show the remains of the munitions used in the attack.
It said a number of homes had been struck in the city of Saravan.
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Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described their attack on Iran as a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes”.
“This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“This action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats.”
Earlier this week, Iran attacked targets inside Pakistan with bomb-carrying drones and rockets.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry claimed two children were killed in the “unprovoked violation” of the country’s airspace while others were injured.
Iran’s state media said its warped terrorist army the Revolutionary Guard carried out the strikes on Tuesday evening – but later withdrew the reports.
Reports said they targeted bases belonging to the militant group Jaish al-Adl, who also have a presence in Iran itself.
The group raged on Tuesday that six bomb-carrying drones and rockets struck homes belonging to the militants, their wives and children.
They claimed two children had died in the ambush and two women and a teenage girl were injured.
Chilling footage reportedly taken near the site – shared by HalVash – appeared to show a burning building and two small bodies.
Several insurgent groups operate in Iran and Pakistan – including the Jaish al-Adl Sunni separatist group that was targeted by Tehran in its own strike.
They all want an independent Baluchistan for ethnic Baluch areas in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, as well as Iran’s neighbouring Sistan and Baluchestan province, have faced insurgencies from Baluch nationalists for more than two decades.
