Pakistan says Iran violated airspace, killing two children

Two children have died as a result of airspace violations by neighbouring Iran, according to Pakistan, hours after Iranian state media said that missiles on Tuesday attacked two facilities of the terrorist organisation Jaish al Adl. Islamabad warned that the incident could have “serious consequences” and was “completely unacceptable” in a statement released by Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson in the early hours of Wednesday.

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Pakistan’s Strong Condemnation of the Unprovoked Violation of its Air Space

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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 16, 2024

The Foreign Office statement issued after midnight stated that three girls were injured and two innocent youngsters died as a result of the tragedy. The location of the casualties was not mentioned in the announcement. Strongly objecting to the “violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty,” the Foreign Office described it as “completely unacceptable” and issued a warning that it “may have serious consequences.” It is pertinent that the “illegal act” occurred in spite of the fact that Pakistan and Iran have many established communication channels, it further stated that a “strong protest has already been lodged with the concerned senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.” It also stated: “Additionally, the Iranian Charge d’affaires has been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey our strongest condemnation of this blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and that the responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.” “Pakistan has always said terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region that requires coordinated action. Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence,” the statement concluded. A statement from Iran’s foreign ministry was not immediately available. The Revolutionary Guards, an elite unit of Iran, launched missiles at targets in Syria and Iraq on Monday. Attacks on Iranian security forces in the Pakistani border region have previously been carried out by Jaish al Adl. “These bases were hit and destroyed by missiles and drones,” Iranian state media reported earlier, without elaborating. According to Nournews, a publication connected to Iran’s top security agency, the sites that were hit were located in Pakistan’s Balochistan area. The incident’s location and the specifics of the airspace violation were not included in Pakistan’s statement, but it did note that the country had protested to Tehran and that the chief of the Iranian embassy in Islamabad had been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” Pakistan’s statement said, adding that the incident had occurred despite the existence of several channels of communication with Iran. The Pakistani military’s public relations wing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.