QUETTA: At least eight Iranian border security guards were shot dead on Tuesday inside Iran near border area with Gwadar and Kech districts of Balochistan.

The outlawed Jaish-ul-Adl organisation claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to reports, armed men ambushed a vehicle of security guards who were patrolling inside Iranian border area of Negur district.

Sources said eight guards died on the spot and another was injured. They said the Iranian guards retaliated and a heavy exchange of fire continued for some time. The armed men later escaped.

A heavy contingent of Iranian border security forces rushed to the place and took the bodies and the injured to hospital.

“Eight Iranian border guards have been killed in an armed clash in Negur district of Iran, bordering Pakistan,” Iranian officials said.

When contacted, the Pakistani authorities said: “There are reports about the killing of Iranian border guards in an armed attack in Negur district of Iran, bordering Gwadar and Kech districts of Balochistan.”

But a senior Pakistani official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident and said the incident took place on Monday evening at 6.40pm.

The sources said that after receiving information about the incident Deputy Commissioner of Gwadar Abdul Hameed Abro visited the border area on Tuesday.

They said that Iranian authorities told the Pakistani officials that attackers went back to Pakistan after killing the guards.

A man claiming himself to be a spokesman of Jaish-ul-Adl told journalists of Dalbandin of Chagai district on phone that his organization was behind the attack on Iranian guards. He identified himself as Mohammad Musa Mujahid.

AFP adds: The clash was the deadliest since October 2013 when 14 border guards were killed in an attack also claimed by Jaish-ul Adl.

“Armed terrorists entered Iran from Pakistan and clashed with border guards, killing eight soldiers before fleeing back to Pakistan,” Ali Asghar Mirshekari, deputy governor of Sistan-Baluchistan province, said.

He urged Pakistani officials to “arr­est the terrorists and hand them over to Iran to prevent Pakistan from becoming a parade ground for terrorists”.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2015

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