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Iran ready to help Pakistan in fight against terrorism, Army Chief says

October 1, 2023 at 9:00 am

Iranian soldiers take part in an annual military drill in the coast of the Gulf of Oman on December 30, 2022 [Iranian Army/Anadolu Agency]

The Iranian military has stated its readiness to help Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, following a deadly terror attack in south-west Pakistan on Friday.

As some Muslims marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad on Friday in Pakistan, twin suicide bombings targeted two mosques in the south-west Baloshistan province and the neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 57 people and injuring dozens more.

According to Iranian media, Iran’s military chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri sent a message to Pakistan’s Army Chief Lieutenant General Asim Munir, in which he expressed his sympathy and condolences with Islamabad.

Condemning the “barbaric, anti-religious and anti-humane act”, Bagheri declared “the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces for any cooperation and companionship in the all-out fight against terrorism”.

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He further expressed confidence that the Pakistani armed forces and the security and judicial institutions will be able to capture, prosecute, and punish the perpetrators.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and their affiliations have not yet been identified, but it is likely that the perpetrators were either Balochi separatists affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) or religious extremists affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or other groups.

Iranian general Bagheri’s message of support and offer of military cooperation against terrorism comes after Islamabad called on Tehran to do more to stop the flow of terrorists through the two countries’ shared border, reigniting long-held criticism between them both of taking insufficient measures to combat the issue.

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