Iran, Pakistan Try To Downplay Tension After Cross-Border Attacks

Iran and Pakistan both conducted airstrikes on each other's territories but both claim that they respect their neighbor’s territorial integrity.

Pakistan launched airstrikes against several locations in southeastern Iran early Thursday, one day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards hit targets inside the Pakistani territory.

The statements issued by both sides emphasized that the attacks were meant to target “terrorist hideouts” and not the civilians. Several children and women were killed in both attacks. Iran’s IRGC claimed their missiles and suicide drones targeted two bases of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl while Pakistan claimed the operation was against “Sarmachar,” a term that means insurgents or rebels in general. Iranian officials have rejected Islamabad’s allegations about the presence of Pakistani terrorists in the city where the attack took place.

The cross-border attacks have escalated tensions between Iran and Pakistan although both countries insist that Baloch separatist factions were the main target of the strikes.

Pakistani President Arif Alvi on Thursday said his country fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and expects the same from other nations not to violate international law. Alvi said that Pakistan and Iran are "brotherly countries and they needed to resolve issues through dialogue and mutual consultation."