Pakistan warns Iran not to send in troops after guards kidnapped

[illusion8]

(Reuters) - Pakistan warned Iran on Tuesday not to send troops across the two countries' shared border to retrieve five kidnapped Iranian border guards, an incident that threatens to exacerbate regional and sectarian tensions.

On Monday, Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli was quoted as saying Iran might consider sending its forces onto Pakistani soil if Pakistan did not take the steps necessary to fight against militants.

"Iranian forces have no authority to cross our borders in violation of the international law. We must respect each other's borders," the Pakistani government statement said.

Predominantly Shi'ite Iran says militants seized the guards about 5 km (3 miles) inside Iran on February 6 in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan and took them into Pakistan.

A Sunni insurgent Iranian group calling itself Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, according to a Twitter account purporting to belong to the group. Its authenticity could not be immediately verified.

"The government of Pakistan regrets the suggestions of negligence on its part over the incident, especially when Pakistan's active support against terrorists groups in the past, is well-known and acknowledged by Iran," the Pakistani statement said.

Pakistan said it was in contact with Iran and had searched the area looking for the abducted border guards but been unable to find them in the mountainous, sparsely populated area.

The area where the kidnappings took place has a history of violence and sectarian problems.

Both countries are Muslim, but Pakistan is a majority Sunni state with a minority of Shi'ites. Iran is the reverse. In both countries, the minority sect complains of discrimination.

Since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took office, Pakistan has moved to align itself more closely with Saudi Arabia, the country that gave Sharif a home when he was exiled after a coup.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran are arch rivals for influence in the Muslim world.

Pakistan warns Iran not to send in troops after guards kidnapped| Reuters

 

[VeeraBahadur]

From recent past.


The other jihad - Sajid Hussain

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

iran, u better not send in troops, varna hum bohat galian dain gai!

 

[jarves]

Why Pakistan and Iran are not cooperating with each other??

 

[usernameless]

Even if Iran sends in troops, how long are they planning to stay?
As far as i know, that region is so mountainous and 'empty', which will make searching for those soldiers really difficult. Plus, if Iran really intends to go in, they should have kept it private. Now the terrorists will either move the soldiers or kill them to lose 'burden' and escape. Hope Pakistan and Iran will solve the situation in a good way.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Even if Iran sends in troops, how long are they planning to stay?
As far as i know, that region is so mountainous and 'empty', which will make searching for those soldiers really difficult. Plus, if Iran really intends to go in, they should have kept it private. Now the terrorists will either move the soldiers or kill them to lose 'burden' and escape. Hope Pakistan and Iran will solve the situation in a good way.

In the recent past they were arrested and deported after a while...

 

[Samlee]

Why Pakistan and Iran are not cooperating with each other??

WE ARE

Pakistan, Iran to resolve all issues through talks

Pakistani and Iranian officials, at a meeting of the Pakistan-Iran joint border commission held here on Wednesday, discussed the recent issues straining their otherwise friendly relations and vowed to resolve them through talks.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of recent kidnapping of five Iranian border guards and firing of rockets and mortar shells by Iranian forces into the border areas of Balochistan.

Balochistan Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad led the Pakistani delegation and Deputy Governor of Sistan-Baluchestan Ali Asghar Mir Shikari headed the Iranian team.

Both sides agreed that cordial relations between Pakistan and Iran required them to work in cooperation to secure their borders and combat terrorism, drug smuggling and other crimes.

The meeting discussed issues creating misunderstanding between the two countries, particularly the kidnapping of five Iranian guards by a relatively unknown militant organisation based in the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

The organisation, Jaishul Adl, has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings in a video clip of the kidnapped Iranian guards posted by it on social media. Iran has alleged that the militants had taken the kidnapped guards to their hideouts in Pakistani territory and warned that it can send its troops into Pakistani territory to secure their release.

According to sources, Pakistani officials rejected the claim and said that Frontier Corps personnel had combed the entire border area but found no clue to the presence of the militants and the kidnapped guards there.

The Pakistani delegation reminded the Iranians about the support being extended by their country to Iran against terrorist organisations and that Pakistan was already fighting such elements.

The sources said that Pakistani officials also took up the incidents of border violation by Iranian border guards who had fired rockets and mortar shells which landed in the border areas of Balochistan.

“Such incidents are repeatedly taking place in Mashkel, Taftan, Mand and order border areas of Balochistan,” the Iranian officials were informed.

The chief secretary told reporters after the meeting that both sides had held serious discussions on the two issues and were determined to resolve them through talks.

He said such problems would not be allowed to harm cordial relations between the two brotherly countries.

Balochistan Home Secretary Syed Asadur Rehman Gilani, IG Mushtaq Sukhera, IG of Frontier Corps Maj Gen Ejez Shahid and the deputy commissioners of border districts attended the meeting.

Pakistan, Iran to resolve all issues through talks

 

[Khan_patriot]

I think the best bet would be a snatch and grab operation by Pakistani troops....

 

[GR!FF!N]

Iran's approach is simple...if you can't control your $h!t,we'll make you.but the problem is that creating a "Buffer Zone" is quite tough.better option is to increase patrol so that those chut!y@$ get killed as soon as they cross the border.but its not the solution of this kind of problem.cause,if "Factory" doesn't get closed,product will be produced and they'll not only increase their number,they'll try to Spillover.and that is where danger of Iran lies.and I personally think we're going to see more such incidents that'll escalate this tensed situation unfortunately.PA's operation against Taliban in NW will just spread them to other parts,one of lucrative place'll be Baluchistan..

by the way,what is the status of Iran-Pakistan Barrier???

 

[Kompromat]

Two states must work together to deal with the common terrorist threat posed by JEL, BLA, BRA, BLF, and Jindullah.