Pakistan expresses solidarity with Iran following Zahedan terror attack

Islamabad: Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Zahedan, resulting in loss of lives of two Iranian security personnel.   

In a statement on Saturday, the Foreign Office expressed deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.                 

It expressed Pakistan's complete solidarity with the government and people of Iran in this common fight against the scourge of terrorism.   

According to the official news agency IRNA, two Iranian police officials lost their lives in a grenade attack on a police station in the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province, located in southeast Iran. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) stated in a released statement that all four attackers involved in the assault had been neutralized.

The armed assailants reportedly hurled grenades in an attempt to gain access to the police station. Iranian security officials have refuted claims suggesting that the incident was a suicide attack.

Ali Reza Marhamati, the province's deputy governor for security affairs, confirmed that the attack occurred at 07:15 local time (03:45 GMT). Marhamati stated that prompt action by security forces prevented the attackers from entering the police station, effectively bringing the situation under control.

Sistan-Baluchistan, home to the Baluchi minority, is one of Iran's economically disadvantaged provinces. In May, the province experienced one of its deadliest attacks in months, resulting in the deaths of five Iranian border guards during clashes with an armed group in Saravan, southeast of Zahedan.

During that incident, state media reported that a terrorist group seeking to infiltrate the country was responsible for the attack, but its members fled the scene after sustaining injuries.

Zahedan was previously a site of protests in September, triggered by the alleged rape of a teenage girl by a police officer. The protests resulted in numerous deaths.

Furthermore, tensions have arisen between Iran and Afghanistan over water rights, particularly in the drought-affected Sistan-Baluchistan region. In late May, an Iranian police station in Sistan-Baluchistan was reportedly fired upon by "Taliban forces," according to an IRNA report.

One Iranian border guard was reported killed, while the Taliban claimed one casualty on their side. However, specific details regarding the casualties were not provided by Iranian authorities.