First, Iran launched airstrikes in Pakistan, followed by a Pakistani retaliatory strike inside Iran. Both nations assert these aerial attacks targeted terrorist network strongholds.
It began with Iran's operation on Tuesday night, targeting Jaish al-Adl's bases in Balochistan, Pakistan with missiles. The following day, Pakistan struck the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan.
Pakistan claimed two girls perished in Iran's assault, whereas Iran attributed nine deaths to the Pakistani airstrike.
Ever since, tension has simmered between the two nations, with Balochistan at the storm's eye, a region stretching from Pakistan to Iran. Iran accuses the Pakistani side of harboring Jaish al-Adl, whereas Pakistan levels similar allegations about BLA's presence in Iranian Balochistan.
The curious case of Balochistan
Sprawling across three nations - Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran - Balochistan's northern expanse extends to Nimruz, Helmand, and Kandahar in Afghanistan. Its western part lies in Iran, known as Sistan-Balochistan, with the remainder in Pakistan.
Pakistan's largest province by area, it spans over 347,000 square kilometers, occupying roughly 44% of the country's land. In spite of its rich reserves of natural resources like gas and coal, Balochistan is also a land rife with poverty.
Source: aajtak
Secessionist voices in Balochistan!
Post-partition in 1947, Balochistan became part of Pakistan, but the Baloch have long insisted they were annexed against their will, desiring independence. This has led to ongoing conflict with the Pakistani government and military.
Numerous organizations have emerged fighting for Balochistan's freedom, with claims that governmental neglect and insufficient political representation fueled tensions since 1948.
Pakistani authorities have consistently suppressed the region's separatist and insurgent movements. Allegations against the military include abductions, torture, and assassinations of Baloch activists.
How did Balochistan become a battleground?
Balochistan is morphing into a new arena for the Pakistan-Iran conflict, where both accuse each other of fostering terrorists that cross borders to launch attacks. Armed encounters have claimed the lives of several policemen, soldiers, and civilians on both sides.
Iran accuses Pakistan of sheltering the Sunni group Jaish al-Adl, whose operatives target Sistan-Balochistan's security forces. Meanwhile, Pakistan faces allegations from Iran of nurturing separatist factions in their own Balochistan.
Source: aajtak
Iran's quandary!
After Iran's strike on Jaish al-Adl within Pakistan, which Pakistan decried as a sovereignty breach, it has elicited concern. Iran has taken a perilous step given Pakistan's nuclear capabilities.
Both nations share a boundary over 900 kilometers long, marked merely by a fence. Iran views Jaish al-Adl as a proxy of its archenemy Saudi Arabia. With Pakistan's closer ties to Saudi Arabia, Iran's patience wears thin.
The strategic importance of Gwadar Port in Pakistan and Chabahar Port in Iran increases the stakes. Both are underway in Balochistan, with Iran insistent on Chabahar Port's security. Thus, Iran cannot tolerate instability in its Sistan-Balochistan region.
