In a move that could further destabilize the Middle East, Iran launched airstrikes on Tuesday targeting alleged militant bases inside Pakistan, killing two children and injuring three others in an action condemned as an "unprovoked violation" by Islamabad. The attack, which came amid heightened tensions in the region following Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, marks a significant escalation in cross-border hostilities between the two neighbors.
Adding to the confusion, Iranian state media reports initially confirming the strikes later disappeared, raising questions about Tehran's motivations and intentions. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack, emphasizing the casualties and describing it as a "blatant violation of Pakistani sovereignty."
The strikes, conducted using missiles and drones according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, targeted the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl ("Army of Justice") operating across the Iran-Pakistan border. The group has claimed responsibility for past bombings and kidnappings of Iranian border police.
This incident comes on the heels of Iranian attacks on Iraq and Syria just a day earlier, both aimed at Islamic State (ISIS) targets in retaliation for a deadly suicide bombing that claimed over 90 lives in Iran this month. The frequency and spread of these strikes highlight Iran's increasingly assertive stance against perceived threats, even across international borders.
Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group founded in 2012, primarily operates across the Pakistan-Iran border, claiming responsibility for bombings and kidnappings of Iranian border police in the past.