Terrorists ‘legitimate’ targets
IRGC hits back at Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan
Iran’s defense minister on Wednesday defended strikes on terrorists’ positions in some neighboring countries as a “legitimate defense” that the country is entitled to.
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani underlined that Iran warns the countries and uses diplomatic channels and negotiations before taking any military action against anti-Iran terrorists.
Ashtiani made the remarks after Iran’s attacks on positions of anti-Iran terrorists in Pakistan, Syria and Iraq.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) carried out missile and drone attacks against the bases of anti-Iran terrorists in Syria and Pakistan as well as facilities run by the Israeli Mossad spy agency in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.
'Decisive' response
“We see no limitations in defending our national interests and the people, and will certainly do this authoritatively. No matter where threats against the Islamic Republic come from, we will react and the response will surely be proportionate, decisive and strong,” he emphasized.
Ashtiani added, “We condemn terrorism anywhere in the world. We will definitely respond to any action meant to violate the [Iranian] nation’s rights, as well as any act of terror targeting the people. We have already demonstrated this forcefully, and see no limits in this regard.”
The Iranian defense minister also said that Iran respects the sovereignty, interests, rights and regulations as well as the territorial integrity of other countries, especially neighbors.
It, however, won’t allow anyone to cause mischief on its borders and will deal with any such move, Ashtiani emphasized.
Iran’s top diplomat said on Wednesday that his country’s armed forces targeted an anti-Iran terrorist group, Jaish al-Adl, in Pakistan.
“None of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Pakistan’s reaction
Pakistan denounced the strike near the nations’ shared border, recalled its ambassador from Iran and blocked Tehran’s envoy from returning to Islamabad.
Pakistan said two children were killed and three others injured in the attack.
“This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever,” it said in a statement. “Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Amir-Abdollahian said Iran’s attack on “Pakistan’s soil” was a response to the Jaish al-Adl group’s recent deadly attacks on Iran, particularly on the city of Rask, in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan.
At attack on January 10 on a police station in the city killed a policeman, almost a month after 11 police officers were killed in a similar attack in the area.
Both attacks were claimed by Jaish al-Adl that was formed in 2012 and is blacklisted by Iran as a “terrorist” group.
“The group has taken shelter in some parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan Province,” Amir-Abdollahian said, adding, “we’ve talked with Pakistani officials several times on this matter”.
The foreign minister said Iran respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan but would not “allow the country’s national security to be compromised or played with”.