Islamabad urges Tehran’s cooperation over the killing of 8 Pakistani nationals in southeastern Iran

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ISLAMABAD (AP) — Islamabad has sought Tehran’s “full cooperation” over the killing of eight Pakistani nationals in restive southeastern Iran, officials said Monday.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement the killing happened Saturday in Mehrestan County in Sistan and Baluchistan province, about 230 kilometers (142 miles) from the Pakistan-Iran border, urging a thorough investigation.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir, wrote on X that the eight were laborers and that Islamabad and Tehran were working on facilitating the repatriation of the bodies.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Baluch regions across Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have faced an insurgency by Baluch nationalists seeking independence for more than two decades.

In Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan, the Baloch Liberation Army, designated a terrorist group by the United States in 2019, often targets security forces and civilians.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Monday the killings and extended condolences to the Pakistani people and government.

“Iran will spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators and masterminds behind this atrocity and ensuring justice is duly served,” the ministry said in a statement.

Esmail Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the killing “an act of terrorism” and “a criminal act which is fundamentally incompatible with all Islamic principles and legal and humanitarian norms”.

HalVash, an advocacy group for the Baluch people of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, reported that unknown gunmen opened fire on eight Pakistani citizens who ran a family auto repair business in the city. This couldn’t be independently verified.