Pakistani forces kill 15 terrorists trying to cross into Iran

Commander of Pakistan’s Border Forces Moazzam Ansari announced on Saturday that his forces have managed to kill 15 armed terrorists intending to cross into Iran, during an operation in the country’s Baluchistan Province.

Ansari said that the successful military operation, which led to the killing of 15 terrorists, was carried out by receiving confidential information on the militants’ crossing the border in region of Baluchistan.

Ansari also, according to Fars news agency, mentioned that the Baluchistan border fencing project with Iran has begun and it is expected to be completed within three to four years.

The Pakistani army has launched a massive attack on the terrorist hideout along the border with Iran, aimed at clearing the border from armed mischief.

The spokesman of Pakistani Army General Asif Ghafoor at a news conference in Rawalpindi reported about the increase of military troops at the Iranian border.

“In order to prevent any kind of terrorist operations at the common border, we are coordinating with Iran completely,” Ghafoor said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Tehran in late April, underscored determination to further expand ties with Pakistan, noting that the two states are due to deploy rapid reaction forces at borders to strengthen fight against terrorism.

"Unfortunately, we have witnessed tensions at the two countries' border by terrorists in recent months. Of course, we are happy that the Pakistani side has clearly declared as terrorist the grouplets which carry out terrorist activities and will confront them," President Rouhani said.

"The two sides agreed to increase border security cooperation, the border guards and intelligence forces, and form a rapid reaction force at the border to confront terrorism," he added.

President Rouhani underlined Tehran and Islamabad's determination to further broaden relations, saying, "No third country is capable of affecting the two countries' brotherly ties."

The highly important decision by the two leaders to deploy rapid reaction forces along common borders came in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in February.

Jeish al-Adl, a Pakistan-based radical Wahhabi terrorist group staging cross border attacks into Southeastern Iran from South-West Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the February 13 attack against the IRGC members in Iran, as a result of which 27 IRGC personnel attained martyrdom.

The group has bases in Southwestern Pakistan and started operations nearly 6 years ago after recruiting the remnants of Jundullah notorious terrorist group and reorganizing them. Iran had captured leaders of Jundullah notorious Wahhabi terrorist group and dismantled the terrorist organization years earlier.

EA