NEW DELHI: Unidentified gunmen killed nine Pakistani workers in a restive southeastern border area of Iran on Saturday, more than a week after the neighbours exchanged deadly cross-border missile fire that reportedly killed nearly a dozen people, including at least two children.
Pakistan
's Foreign Office said it was in touch with Iranian authorities over the "horrifying and despicable killings by terrorists" in the neighbouring country.
Deeply shocked: Pak envoy
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that “unknown armed men killed nine non-Iranians in a house in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city” in the Sistan-Baluchistan province. Iranian interior minister Ahmad Vahidi also only stated that all the dead "were foreign nationals".
However, Pakistan's ambassador to Tehran Muddasir Tipu later confirmed that all the deceased were Pakistani nationals.
"Deeply shocked by horrifying killing of 9 Pakistanis in Saravan. Embassy will extend full support to bereaved families,"
Tipi
said, adding: "We called upon Iran to extend full cooperation in the matter."
The Baluch rights group Haalvash said on its website that the victims were Pakistani labourers, who lived at an auto repair shop where they worked. Three others were wounded, it said.
Despicable incident: Pakistan
Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “It is a horrifying and despicable incident and we condemn it unequivocally. We are in touch with Iranian authorities and have underscored the need to immediately investigate the incident and hold to account those involved in this heinous crime.”
She said Pakistan’s consul in Zahedan was en route to the hospital where the injured are being treated.
“Such cowardly attacks cannot deter Pakistan from its determination to fight terrorism,” the spokesperson added.
Rising tensions
The shootings occurred as Pakistani and Iranian ambassadors were returning to their postings after being recalled when the neighbouring countries exchanged missile strikes last week aimed at what each said were militant targets.
Last week, Iran had launched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, prompting strong condemnation from
Islamabad
and downgrading of diplomatic ties.
Less than 48 hours later, Pakistan struck "hideouts used by terrorist organisations Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)" in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, in an intelligence-based operation codenamed '
Marg Bar
Sarmachar'.
After deadly ‘tit-for-tat’ missile attacks, Pakistan agrees to “de-escalate situation” with Iran
The Iranian strikes, which Pakistan said killed at least two children, drew a sharp rebuke from Islamabad, which recalled its ambassador from Tehran and blocked Iran's envoy from returning to Islamabad.
Tehran also summoned Islamabad's charge d'affaires over Pakistan's strikes, which left at least nine people dead.
The two countries, however, announced last Monday that they had decided to de-escalate and resumed diplomatic missions with the two ambassadors returning to their posts.
The impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan region has long been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and separatist militants and smugglers carrying opium from Afghanistan, the world's top producer of the drug. Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world and this has also led to increasing fuel-smuggling to Pakistan and Afghanistan despite a crackdown by Iranian border guards.
Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will reach Islamabad on Sunday at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart
Jalil Abbas
Jilani.
(With inputs from agencies)
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