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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian clarified on Wednesday that recent airstrikes in Pakistan, which resulted in the deaths of two children, were aimed at an Iranian terrorist group, Jaish al-Adl.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Abdollahian said the strikes were not directed at Pakistani nationals but specifically targeted Jaish al-Adl, which he described as operating within Pakistan and responsible for recent attacks in Iran.

The Foreign Minister stated, “On Pakistan, none of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. The so-called Jaish al-Adl group, which is an Iranian terrorist group, was targeted.” The attack, carried out on Pakistani soil, was a response to the group’s activities in Iran’s southeastern city of Rask, situated in Sistan-Baluchistan province. He added that the group had found refuge in parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan province and that Iranian officials had communicated their concerns multiple times with Pakistani authorities.

While asserting Iran’s respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Abdollahian stressed Iran’s stance on protecting its national security, declaring, “We’ve talked with Pakistani officials several times on this matter,” and “we will not allow the country’s national security to be compromised or played with.”

Following the incident, Pakistan recalled its ambassador to Iran, citing the unacceptable violation of its airspace and sovereignty. Islamabad asserted its right to respond to the illegal act and barred the Iranian ambassador, currently in Iran, from returning to Islamabad. Officials in Pakistan’s Balochistan province reported that four missiles struck the Panjgur district near the Iranian border, causing damage to a mosque and three houses. In addition, two young girls were killed, and three of their family members were injured.

The attack in Pakistan occurred amidst similar Iranian strikes in neighboring countries, Iraq and Syria, with Tehran claiming to have targeted an Israeli espionage center in Iraq.