'Actions In Their Self Defence': India Reacts To Iran Strikes On Jaish al-Adl Bases in Pakistan

India on Wednesday reacted to Iran’s strikes on militant group Jaish al-Adl bases in Pakistan and said this is a matter between the two countries. However, New Delhi said it understands “actions that countries take in their self defense”.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that India has an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism.

We understand actions that countries take in their self defense, he added.

“This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self defense,” read the statement.

It may be noted that India conducted air strikes to wipe out a terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Balakot in northeast Pakistan on February 26, 2019 days after the killing of 40 CRPF personnel in the Pulwama terror attack.

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Pak Condemns Iranian Strikes

Pakistan strongly condemned Iran’s missile attack in Balochistan on Wednesday, terming it an “unprovoked breach of sovereignty.” In an official statement, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry declared the air strike, targeting what Iran claimed were bases of a Sunni militant group, as an illegal act.

Islamabad said the responsibility for “consequences is squarely placed on Iran.” Pakistan announced the suspension of all ongoing and planned high-level visits and the recall of its ambassador from Iran. The Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, currently abroad, has been advised not to return temporarily.

“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever. Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” the ministry said in a statement on its official Facebook handle.

Pakistan said that Iran carried out an air strike on its territory that killed two children, after Tehran launched attacks in Iraq and Syria against what it called “anti-Iranian terrorist groups”. Iranian news agency Mehrnews said the “missile and drone response” targeted the Jaish al-Adl group’s headquarters in Pakistan, calling it “another decisive step taken by Iran in response to the aggression against the security of our country”.

Formed in 2012, Jaish al-Adl is blacklisted by Iran as a terrorist group and has carried out several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years. The strike came after Iran launched missile attacks on “spy headquarters” and “terrorist” targets in Syria, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. The Iranian strikes add to multiple crises across the Middle East, with Israel waging a war against Hamas in Gaza and pro-Palestinian Houthi rebels in Yemen attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea.