Nuclear-armed Pakistan has carried out military strikes against separatist forces in Iran, sparking concerns of further escalation in the Middle East.
The Pakistan Air Force carried out multiple sorties as part of Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar in Iran's Sistan-o-Baluchistan province on Wednesday night.
Marg Bar Sarmachar roughly translates to “death to the guerrilla fighters.”
The “precision strikes” apparently came in response to an Iranian incursion and bombing on Pakistani territory two days prior.
Pakistan's government has reportedly shared evidence with Tehran for years about the activities of terrorists of Pakistani origin called Sarmachars. Islamabad claims they have operated freely in Iran's most politically unstable provinces that share a border with Pakistan.
The government called the military action necessary based on intelligence of imminent large-scale attacks.
CNN further details Pakistan's latest military operation:
It said the hideouts targeted in the operation were used by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), two militant groups fighting for greater regional autonomy.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the BLF said it does not have any hideouts in Iran and that no BLF fighters had been killed in recent attacks. The BLA has not yet commented publicly on Pakistan's strikes on Iranian territory.
A “number” of militants were killed during the operation, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry added.
Tehran demanded “an immediate explanation” from Pakistan over the strikes, Iranian state-aligned Tasnim news agency reported, citing an official.
Iranian state-run media reports the strikes killed 10 people.
The Iranian prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland due to the crisis.
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