Iranian mortar shell kills 1 in Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan claimed that a mortar shell fired by Iranian border guards on Saturday morning killed a civilian.

The shell hit a moving vehicle killing the driver in remote Panjgur district, which borders neighboring Iran, Bashir Bungalzai, a senior government official told reporters.

The incident came a week after Iranian border guards fired five mortar shells into the Pakistani side of the border, though no casualties were reported.

“We have lodged a strong protest with the Iranian border officials over the incident, and informed the federal and provincial governments about the violation,” the official said.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Iran of shelling and targeting civilians in recent months.

Tehran blames Islamabad for not acting against a Sunni hardline militant group Jaish-e-Adl (Army of Justice), allegedly carrying out attacks from the Pakistani side of the border.

A flag meeting between the two border officials would be held on Sunday to discuss the latest violation, Bungalzai said.

- Iranian army chief threatens Pakistan

Earlier this month, the two sides had formed a joint commission during a meeting between Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in Islamabad, days after 10 Iranian border guards were shot dead by militants along the border.

The formation of the commission came days after the Iranian army chief threatened to bomb militant hideouts, allegedly being sheltered by its nuclear-armed neighbor.

The threat led to Pakistan summoning the Iranian ambassador in Islamabad to lodge a protest over the remark, saying that such comments went against the “spirit of brotherly relations existing between the two countries”.