Iran seeks 'immediate clarification' from Pakistan on military strikes

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN (AA) - Iran has sought an explanation from Pakistani authorities following military strikes on a border village in southwestern Sistan-Baluchestan province.

State news agency IRNA, citing an official, said authorities had demanded an "immediate explanation" from the Pakistani government about the "incidents" near the city of Saravan in Sistan-Baluchestan.

Earlier, Alireza Marhameti, the deputy governor for security affairs in Sistan-Baluchestan, told state TV that several explosions were heard at around 4:30 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on Thursday in one of the border villages of Saravan County.

He said the explosions were the result of a missile strike by Pakistan, which killed three women and four children, all of them non-Iranians.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry in a statement said it undertook a series of "highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes" against terrorist hideouts in the Iranian province, killing a number of terrorists.

The move came after Iran on Tuesday launched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, prompting strong condemnation from Islamabad and downgrading of diplomatic ties.