Islamabad, May 29: Just weeks after the visit of then Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, seen as an attempt to mend bilateral ties, three Pakistani nationals were gunned down by Iranian forces at the Mashkel border in Balochistan. Four other Pakistani nationals were left badly injured while two were kidnapped and taken to Iran, as per Pakistan authorities.
According to a statement released by the Mashkel Additional Deputy Commissioner “Iranian forces opened fire in the Pak-Iran border area of Kala Grandi in which three Pakistani citizens lost their lives, four sustained injuries while two were abducted.”
The Pak-Iran border has been the hotbed of standoffs between both the countries’ Armed Forces due to terror attacks, kidnappings, and smuggling. This has led to both countries’ Armed Forces facing off against each other several times, resulting in heavy losses.
This new attack comes just months after the January attack, where Pakistan forces led an attack inside Iran to counter BLA fighters after several nationals died by a missile attack by Iran into Pakistan’s airspace.
Raisi’s visit in April was significant as Pakistan and Iran sought to mend ties after their tit-for-tat missile strikes in January.
Mashkel, located 1,050 kilometers (653 miles) from the provincial capital of Quetta, is a key trade crossing between Pakistan and Iran and is also used by human traffickers to cross into Europe via Iran and Turkiye.
The area is located in the Washuk District of Balochistan, Pakistan and is the biggest area in the district, lying just on the border between Iran and Pakistan.
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