ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched “Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar” on Thursday morning and conducted a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” against alleged terrorist hideouts in Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran in which reportedly a number of terrorists were killed.
Pakistani forces have launched the early morning operation action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars and the series of military strikes namely ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’ — a phrase which loosely translates to “death to the guerrilla fighters”.
Pakistan on Thursday said it had expressed concern to Iran in recent years about the “safe havens and sanctuaries” of Pakistan separatist fighters, referred to as Sarmachar, living inside Iran, and that they had shared evidence of the presence and activities of the militants.
The statement also revealed that over the last several years, during engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by “Pakistani-origin terrorists”, calling themselves “Sarmachars” on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran.
Pakistan has also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists, the statement reads.
However, due to a lack of action on those concerns, the militants continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars.
This action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats. The successful execution of this highly complex operation is also a testimony to the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
Pakistan will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve the safety and security of its people which is sacrosanct, inviolable and sacred.
Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised.
As a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan upholds the principles and purposes of the UN Charter including territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states. Guided by these principles, and in exercise of our legitimate rights within international law, Pakistan will never allow its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be challenged, under any pretext or circumstances.
Iran is a brotherly country and the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the Iranian people. We have always emphasized dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including the menace of terrorism and will continue to endevaour to find joint solutions.
Sistan and Baluchistan province’s deputy governor Alireza Marhamati said in an interview on state television that at least seven people had been killed following explosions and that the dead included three women and four children, who were foreign citizens.
“At 4:30 a.m. explosions were heard in a border village, several missiles were fired at the village,” Marhamati said.
The deputy governor said another explosion took place near the city of Saravan, but there were no casualties from that second explosion.
Both Pakistan and Iran have long fought militants in the restive Baloch region along their 900-kilometer (560-mile) border but the latest incident marks a major escalation between the two neighboring powers and comes as regional hostilities in the Middle East mount over Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
In a startling revelation on Wednesday, Tehran’s top diplomat Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, openly acknowledged that Iranian armed forces had launched a targeted attack on what they termed as an “Iranian terrorist group” operating within Pakistani territory.
The admission came during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the foreign minister insisted that no Pakistani nationals had been targeted in the strike.
Tensions between Pakistan and Iran run high, as the Foreign Office has condemned Iran’s violation of Pakistani airspace and said that Islamabad strongly condemned the unprovoked violation.
Read more: Pakistan terminates diplomatic ties with Iran over ‘completely unacceptable’ airstrike
