To avenge a deadly strike on the fourth anniversary commemoration of General Qaseem Sulaimani, Iran has taken a leaf from American induced surgical-strikes-book and targeted a camp of Jaish-ul-Adl in Balochistan, which nuclear-armed Pakistan has detested in strongest of terms by re-calling its ambassador from Tehran and cancelling all bilateral visits in the coming days.
Besides targeting Pakistan, Iran has also launched missile strikes within Iraq and Syria as well to escalate and many believe expand the Israeli- war in Gaza to rest of the region and beyond. Iran’s intelligence agencies believe that Jaisahul Adl, known in Iran as Jaish al-Dhulm, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi with established links with DAESH is based in neighbouring Pakistan. The intelligence agencies believe that this terrorist group is linked to ISIS, which claimed the responsibility of bombing the commemoration event of slain General Sulaimani on 3rd of January 2024 in which 84 people dies and scores of others were injured.
Iran has recently (November 2023) executed three members of a Sunni Muslim armed group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) who were found guilty of carrying out deadly bomb attack targeting the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and killing over 27 Revolutionary Guards in 2019. The group claimed responsibility for the attack at the time.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan, meanwhile, lodged a “strong protest” with a senior official in Iran’s Foreign Ministry in the Iranian capital Tehran and called on the Iranian charge d’affairs to the foreign office, saying the “responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan confirmed that Iranian airstrike inside its borders that killed two children, calling it an “unprovoked violation of its airspace” and warning of retaliation. The Minstry described the airstrike as an “unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran, inside Pakistani territory.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release further said that “It is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran.”
Iran’s semi-state news agency (Tasnim) confirmed quoting official sources that Iran used “precision missile and drone strikes,” to destroy two strongholds of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl in the Koh-e-Sabz area of Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province. It did not claim the outcome of this strike though while Pakistan claims that two children have died and three others got injured. Koh-e-Sabz is about 50 kilometers from Pakistan’s border with Iran and is known to be the home of Jaish-ul-Adl’s former second-in-command Mullah Hashim, who was killed in clashes with Iranian forces in Sarawan, an Iranian region adjacent to Panjgur, in 2018. It is believed that the house and the mosque targeted by Iranian drones and missles are believed to be connected with a commander of the Jaishul Adl.