Days after a missile attack by Iran in Balochistan’s Panjgur, Pakistani forces have carried out ‘highly coordinated’ strikes against terrorist camps inside Iranian territory, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

“This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran,” the MoFA statement said.

MoFA spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch said that the prime minister and foreign minister have cut their international visits short in light of the situation.

The statement added that the operation had been named ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’ and that several terrorists had been killed in it.

This action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats,“ the statement added.

Read: Pakistan expels Iranian ambassador after violation of country’s airspace

“The successful execution of this highly complex operation is also a testimony to the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces,” it added.

MoFA said that terrorists of Pakistani origin had been enjoying safe havens and sanctuaries in Iran and had called themselves ‘Sarmarchars’. MoFA added that concerns about these terrorists had been relayed to Iran in several diplomatic engagements over the past few years.

The statement clarified that Pakistan respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran but had undertaken Thursday’s action in the interest of its own national security.

Read: Pakistan condemns airspace violation by Iran, warns of consequences

Pakistan will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve the safety and security of its people which is sacrosanct, inviolable and sacred.

Pakistan had already stated that it reserves the right to retaliate and the responsibility for any consequences would lie with Iran.

ISPR statement

The Inter-Services Public Relations described the operations as ‘intelligence-based’ and said that hideouts being used by alochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front were targeted.

The statement from ISPR said that iller drones, rockets, loitering munitions and stand-off weapons were used in the strikes.

“The targeted hideouts were being used by notorious terrorists including Dosta alias Chairman, Bajjar alias Soghat, Sahil alias Shafaq, Asghar alias Basham and Wazir alias Wazi, amongst others,” the statement said.

However, the statement added that ‘dialogue and cooperation’ is the way to resolve conflicts among the two countries.

Where did the strikes take place

Siestan and Baluchistan province is the eastern most part of Iran that borders Pakistan.

The city of Sarwan, where the strikes reportedly took place, is 50 kilomotres from the Pak-Iran border. This is approximately the same distance between the border and Sabz Koh, where Iran carried out its strike.

Iranian media

After Pakistan officially announced the strikes, media reports from Iran also reported deaths in the area.

BBC Farsi quoted the deputy security governor of the Balochistan-o-Sistan province to say that three women and four children had been killed in the strike.

Early claims

Before the MoFA statement made it official, journalists had claimed on social media that the strikes had beeen carrid out.

It also comes a day after Pakistan announced it would expel the Iranian ambassador and call back its envoy from Tehran.

The claim was shared by Salman Masood, who is the editor of the Nation and is also the New York Times’ correspondent in Pakistan.

According to Masood, the strikes were carried out by Pakistan Air Force.

Other posts on social media had claimed that the strikes took place in Sarwan, a city in eastern Iran.

The Iranian media has also been silent about any such event so far. However, social media accounts from Iran have posted videos of houses being destroyed and linked them to alleged airstrikes.

The posts have placed the strikes to take place in Haqabad and Shamsar of Saravan city. However, the videos could not be independently verified.