7 injured as Iranian border guards fire rockets in Balochistan's Kech

Published December 29, 2014
This picture shows an Iranian border guard looking through a pair of binoculars to monitor the area — AFP/File
This picture shows an Iranian border guard looking through a pair of binoculars to monitor the area — AFP/File

QUETTA: Iranian border guards fired dozens of rockets in Balochistan's Kech district on Sunday night, officials said.

Levies sources told Dawn that Iranian border guards fired 42 rockets in Kech's Zamuran area, located close to the border. They said the rockets landed at a village in Zamuran and injured seven Pakistani civilians.

"The injured persons were rushed to District Hospital Turbat for treatment," Levies sources said.

Separately, Levies sources said that armed men had attacked a checkpost in Koh-e-Sor inside Iranian territory and killed three Iranian officials on Sunday evening.

Take a look: Tensions on Pak-Iran border

Panic prevailed among people as Iranian border guards continued to fire rockets inside Pakistani territory the entire night.

Levies and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel rushed to the area to defend the border.

When FC and Levies personnel reached the border, Iranian border guards stopped firing rockets, Levies sources added.

Iran has alleged that the assailants who attacked the Iranian checkpost sneaked inside Pakistan. The allegation is vehemently denied by Pakistani officials.

Last month, the Foreign Office had lodged a strong protest with Iran, after the neighbouring country’s border guards stormed into Pakistani territory and killed a security official.

Also read: Pakistan lodges protest with Iran over killing of soldier at border

Security on both sides of the border was tightened in the aftermath of untoward incidents at the border. Pakistan shares a 900 km long porous border with Iran and the two countries had recently decided to boost intelligence coordination to wipe out terrorists from the area.

Pakistani and Iranian officials had met in the Iranian city of Mir Java, to boost mutual cooperation and understanding to cope with the menace of terrorism at the border.

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