ISLAMABAD: Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, targeting separatist Baloch militants, its foreign ministry said, two days after Tehran said it had attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory.
The neighbors have had rocky relations in the past, but the strikes are the highest-profile cross-border intrusion in recent years, for which Tehran has demanded an explanation, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said.
The Iran-Pakistan exchange deepens worries about instability across the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, with Iran’s allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar will cut short a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos and return home, a foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Earlier, Iranian media said several missiles hit a village in the Sistan-Baluchestan province that borders Pakistan, killing three women and four children, all non-Iranians.
“A number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, describing it as a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts.”
“Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ministry added in its statement.
“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.”
Tehran has asked Islamabad for an explanation about the strikes, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said, citing an unidentified official. Pakistan’s charge’d affaires, its most senior diplomat in Tehran, has been summoned, Iranian media said.
A Pakistani intelligence source told Reuters the strikes were carried out by military aircraft.
“Our forces have conducted strikes to target Baloch militants inside Iran,” said the official in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.
“The targeted militants belong to BLF,” he added, referring to the Baloch Liberation Front, which seeks independence for Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Iran said on Tuesday it had hit Israel-linked militant bases inside Pakistan. Both targeted groups are ethnically Baloch, but it was not clear if they co-operate.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan said civilians had been hit and two children killed, warning of consequences for which Tehran would be responsible.
Islamabad recalled its ambassador from Iran on Wednesday in protest against what it called a “blatant breach” of its sovereignty.
Escalation fears
Iran had been flexing its muscles in the region, even before its cross-border incursion into Pakistan.
It launched strikes on Syria against what Tehran said were Islamic State sites and Iraq, where it said it had struck an Israeli espionage center. Baghdad recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
The neighbors had appeared to be improving ties, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Pakistan’s Kakar meeting at Davos this week, before the Iranian strikes on Pakistan.
Pakistan’s comments after its retaliatory strikes signal a desire to keep the row contained, but analysts warned it could get out of hand.
“Iran’s motivation for attacking Pakistan remains opaque but in light of broader Iranian behavior in the region it can escalate,” Asfandyr Mir, a senior expert on South Asia security at the US Institute of Peace, told Reuters.
“What will cause anxiety in Tehran is that Pakistan has crossed a line by hitting inside Iranian territory, a threshold that even the US and Israel have been careful to not breach.”
Khwaja Asif, Pakistan’s defense minister until August, said the action was retaliatory.
“A measured response has been given and it was important,” he told Geo TV. “There should be ongoing efforts on the side that this doesn’t escalate.”
Both targeted militant groups operate in an area that includes Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan and Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. Both are restive, mineral-rich and largely underdeveloped.
The BLF, which Islamabad targeted inside Iran, is waging an armed insurgency against the Pakistani state.
This includes hitting Chinese citizens and investments in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province by land mass, but its least populated and developed. Large portions are lawless.
The Jaish al Adl (JAA), which Iran targeted, is also an ethnic militant group, but with Sunni Islamist leanings that primarily Shiite Iran sees as a threat.
The group has carried out attacks in Iran against its powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In its previous incarnation as Jundallah, the group had pledged allegiance to Iraq- and Syria-based jihadist group Daesh.
Pakistan hits 'terrorist hideouts' in airstrike on Iran
https://arab.news/crkjb
Pakistan hits 'terrorist hideouts' in airstrike on Iran
Pakistan seeks Iran’s help to probe killing of eight nationals in Sistan-Baluchistan
- The attack was claimed by Baloch separatists from Pakistan’s restive southwestern province
- Iranian embassy in Pakistan condemned the incident, calling for joint efforts to combat ‘terrorism’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Sunday it hoped for full Iranian cooperation to investigate the killing of eight of its nationals in Sistan-Baluchistan province and was working to ensure the prompt repatriation of the victims’ bodies.
The news of the killings emerged in Pakistani media on Saturday evening, though the federal authorities initially remained silent.
Later at night, the foreign office confirmed the development in response to media queries, saying its officials were in contact with Iranian authorities and would comment once details were confirmed.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the attack, which was claimed by a Baloch separatist group, and voiced concern that the incident had occurred on Iranian soil.
“Eight Pakistani nationals were tragically killed yesterday in Mehrestan County, Sistan-Baluchistan province, located approximately 230 kilometers from the Pakistan-Iran border,” the foreign office said in a statement. “Our Mission has already requested consular access to verify their identities.”
“Pakistan strongly condemns the inhumane and cowardly killing of its nationals in Iran,” it continued. “We hope for Iranian side’s full cooperation in investigating the matter and timely repatriation of victims’ remains.”
The foreign office said the country’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Zahedan were in constant touch with Iranian authorities to ensure a comprehensive investigation and swift transfer of the bodies.
A day earlier, Afghanistan’s Khaama Press News Agency reported the victims were all auto mechanics.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds, regularly cross into Iran for informal work in industries such as auto repair, agriculture and construction.
The Balochistan National Army (BNA), a separatist group from Pakistan’s southwestern region, claimed responsibility for the killings, alleging that the victims were affiliated with Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency.
Balochistan, a resource-rich but restive province of Pakistan bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has witnessed a low-level insurgency for nearly two decades.
Baloch militant groups accuse the central government of exploiting local resources while neglecting the population. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it is committed to regional development.
On Saturday night, the Pakistani premier called on the Iranian government to investigate the attack thoroughly and publicly share its findings.
“Terrorism is a scourge that is devastating for all countries in the region,” he said, urging regional states to adopt a coordinated strategy to root out militancy.
The Iranian embassy in Islamabad also condemned the killings earlier today and emphasized the need for joint efforts to combat terrorism.
“Combating this ominous phenomenon requires collective and joint efforts by all countries to eradicate all forms of terrorism and extremism that have claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people in recent decades,” it said.
The incident echoes a similar attack in January 2023, when nine Pakistani laborers were killed and three others critically injured in Saravan, another city in Iran’s southeastern region. Those victims were also reportedly employed at an auto repair shop.
That attack had taken place at a time when Pakistan and Iran were seeking to normalize ties following tit-for-tat missile and drone strikes.
Lebanese PM to visit Syria, discuss disappearance of prisoners
- Nawaf Salam lays wreath at Martyrs’ Monument in Beirut to commemorate 50th anniversary of Lebanese Civil War
LONDON: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is scheduled to visit the Syrian Arab Republic on Monday to discuss common interests with the new leadership in Damascus.
It will be Salam’s first visit to Syria since he formed a government in February, and he is scheduled to discuss the issue of Lebanese citizens who disappeared in Syrian prisons during the Bashar Assad regime that collapsed in December. It has been reported that 622 Lebanese nationals remain forcibly disappeared in Syrian prisons.
“I hope to return with good news about those missing in Syria, and I will update the Lebanese people on this issue tomorrow,” Salam said, according to the National News Agency.
Salam laid a wreath at the Martyrs’ Monument in Beirut on Sunday to commemorate the anniversary of April 13, the date when Lebanon’s Civil War began in 1975.
Salam wrote on X: “We pause not to reopen wounds, but to recall lessons that must never be forgotten. All victories were false, and all parties (from the war) emerged as losers.”
He added: “There can be no true state unless legitimate armed forces have the exclusive right to bear arms.”
Aid worker missing after deadly attack on colleagues is held by Israel, ICRC says
- PRCS demanded the immediate release of Nsasrah, who it said was “forcibly abducted” while carrying out humanitarian duties
CAIRO: A Palestinian Red Crescent staff member who went missing in late March when 15 humanitarian workers were killed by Israeli fire is being detained by Israeli authorities, the rescue service and the Red Cross said on Sunday.
Hisham Mhana, the spokesperson for the ICRC in Gaza, confirmed to Reuters that it had received information that the Palestine Red Crescent Society paramedic Assad Al-Nsasrah was being held in an Israeli place of detention.
“As per standard practice, we informed the families immediately. In this case, we also informed the Palestine Red Crescent Society as they have special standing as a partner of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” he said.
The Israeli army did not immediately comment.
Mhana said the ICRC has not been granted access to Nsasrah, who until Sunday had been declared missing, and also has not been able to visit any of the Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israeli jails since October 7, 2023.
In a post on X, The PRCS demanded the immediate release of Nsasrah, who it said was “forcibly abducted” while carrying out humanitarian duties.
It added that Nsasrah and his colleagues came under heavy gunfire, which led to the killing of eight of them in a “grave violation” of international humanitarian law.
The bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers from the Red Crescent, the Civil Emergency Service and the UN were found buried in a mass grave in southern Gaza in March.
The UN and the Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of killing them after they were dispatched to respond to reports of injuries from Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli military referred Reuters to its statement from Monday, in which it said that a thorough inquiry into the incident was still underway and that it would provide further details only once the investigation is complete.
It said that a preliminary inquiry indicated that “the troops opened fire due to a perceived threat following a previous encounter in the area, and that six of the individuals killed in the incident were identified as Hamas terrorists.”
The Israeli military has provided no evidence of how it determined that the six were Hamas militants, and the Islamist faction has rejected the accusation.
The only known survivor of the incident, PRCS paramedic Munther Abed, said soldiers had opened fire on clearly marked emergency response vehicles.
Saudi Arabia eyes $31.6bn space economy as sector gains momentum
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s space economy reached $8.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $31.6 billion by 2035, according to a new study.
The Space Market Report 2025, released by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, stated that the growth encompasses all value-added activities and industries derived from technologies and services, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 12 percent.
The Kingdom’s space market—focused on commercial services and infrastructure—was valued at $1.9 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach $5.6 billion by 2035, supported by increased investment in technologies and infrastructure.
The report aims to chart the growth trajectory of the domestic and global space sectors, while also supporting market development, enhancing competitiveness, and identifying investment opportunities.
CST Gov. Mohammad Al-Tamimi stated that the strong support from wise leadership is accelerating investment, infrastructure development, and the enabling of national talents.
He added that these efforts contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and aim to establish a competitive, sustainable space economy both regionally and internationally.
Al-Tamimi also said the analysis is part of CST’s continued work to support the space sector as a new economic driver, contributing to the Kingdom’s global standing in technology and innovation.
He described the publication as a valuable resource for decision-makers, investors, and entrepreneurs to understand future trends and promising growth opportunities in the sector.
The study highlights several movements shaping the space industry, including the growth of Earth observation data analysis, infrastructure services, integrated communications systems, and advanced sensing technologies.
It also notes the increasing development and deployment of small satellites and the expanding role of the private sector in both local and international space markets.
Globally, the space economy is projected to grow from $687 billion in 2024 to $1.8 trillion by 2035, representing a CAGR of 9 percent.
The global space market is forecast to increase from $176 billion to $377 billion in the same period, with a CAGR of 7 percent.
Moroccans demonstrate in support of Palestinians
- Demonstrators marched through the streets of Rabat under pouring rain in response to a call from the National Action Group for Palestine
RABAT: Several thousand people demonstrated in Morocco’s capital on Sunday to show support for Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.
Under pouring rain, demonstrators marched through the streets of Rabat in response to a call from the National Action Group for Palestine, a coalition of several political organizations, including the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).
“The Moroccans are with Gaza,” said the principal of a private school in Rabat who spoke to AFP.
The North African kingdom has officially called for “the immediate, complete and permanent halt to the Israeli war on Gaza,” but has not publicly discussed reversing the official establishment of ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-led Abraham Accords.
The latest protest followed another large rally held a week earlier, part of a spate of demonstrations across the country since the Israeli army resumed its offensive on March 18 against the Islamist group Hamas after a two-month truce in Gaza.
