Pakistan has launched airstrikes on Iranian territory, resulting in at least seven fatalities. The operation, named “Marg Bar Sarmachar,” targeted an unspecified location but was announced amidst rising regional conflicts.
The phrase “Marg Bar Sarmachar” translates to “death to guerrillas” in Farsi and Baluch, reflecting the focus on militant groups operating in the border region between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan’s foreign ministry described the strikes as “highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes,” carried out in response to intelligence about impending large-scale terrorist activities.
This military action follows a recent Iranian attack on Pakistani soil, which claimed the lives of two children in the southwestern Baluchistan province. The incident has aggravated existing tensions between the two nations, which have long accused each other of harboring militants across their shared border.
Iranian state television reported that the Pakistani raids resulted in the deaths of four children and three women in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province. Ali Reza Marhamati, a deputy governor in the province, confirmed these casualties.
Despite the recent attacks, both Pakistan and Iran have historically targeted Jaish al Adl, a Sunni Muslim separatist group seeking independence for the Baluch regions in both countries. This shared enemy has created a complex dynamic in the region.
The Pakistani airstrikes add to a string of recent attacks on foreign soil. The US also conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, marking the fourth such operation in less than a week, following an attack on an American-owned vessel near the Red Sea. These developments highlight the increasing volatility in the region, raising concerns about a potential escalation into a broader conflict.
