Iran launched drone and missile assaults on terrorist bases inside Pakistan on Wednesday (17th January), claiming to hit two Jaish al-Adl terrorist sites, a day after the elite Revolutionary Guards conducted similar strikes on Iraq and Syria. Pakistan issued a forceful statement condemning Iran’s “unprovoked violation of its airspace” and warning of “consequences”. Pakistan further claimed that two children died and three others were injured as a result of Iran’s attack.
The significant missile attack by Iran on targets inside Pakistan’s territorial border came just hours after the Pakistani Air Force boasted about its advanced capabilities in a video. The Pakistan Air Force claimed ‘transformative modernization initiative to counter evolving threats, prioritizing the induction of modern systems through smart acquisitions and indigenization’.
“A key milestone in this strategic transformation has been the acquisition of Fifth Generation Stealth fighter jets, the foundation of whose induction into the PAF has already been laid which will ensure an impregnable defense of the country,” the Pakistan Air Force stated as it announced acquisition of the J-10C fighter jets.
PAF CHECKMATES PAKISTAN'S ENEMIES
— DGPR (AIR FORCE) (@DGPR_PAF) January 16, 2024
16 January, 2024: PAF Checkmates Pakistan's Enemies while strategically outplaying adversaries under the visionary leadership of Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. Pakistan Air Force has undertaken a… pic.twitter.com/mdrBZRTMEP
“The acquisition of J-10C fighter jets, Unmanned Aerial Systems, modern electronic warfare platforms, force multipliers, state-of-the-art integrated air defense systems, air mobility platforms, HIMADS, and hypersonic missile capabilities at an unprecedented pace has bolstered the PAF’s warfighting capabilities,” PAF added.
Pakistan reached out to the Iranian charge d’affaires at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express its “strongest condemnation of this clear violation” of its sovereignty. While Pakistan’s Foreign Office did not specify the location of the victims, reports indicate that the bases were in Balochistan, and one of the terror group’s biggest headquarters was attacked.
Pakistan condemned Iran’s attack as a “unprovoked violation of its airspace” and vowed to “vehemently protest the violation of its sovereignty.” It is totally unacceptable, and it might have significant implications.”
Shots of the Pakistan site targeted by Iranian suicide drones & missiles: https://t.co/jK1TpXeDqf
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) January 17, 2024
Jaish al-Adl was founded in 2012 and declared a terrorist outfit by Iran. Jaish al-Adl is a Sunni terrorist organization based in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan. Over the years, Jaish al-Adl has launched multiple attacks on Iranian security personnel.
Interestingly, the IRGC strike inside Pakistan happened just when Pakistan’s caretaker PM Anwaar Kakar was meeting Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Just a day prior, Iran had hit areas near US consulate in Erbil, Iraq, claiming to hit Israeli spy bases. The IRGC has also conducted long-range missile strikes hitting ISIS targets in Syria, in an apparent display of its capabilities.
In December, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for an attack on a police station in Sistan-Baluchistan, which killed at least 11 officers. Sistan-Baluchistan shares a border with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The region has a history of conflicts between Iranian security forces, Sunni insurgents, and drug smugglers.
