Iran, Pakistan Agree to Intensify Fight Against ‘Terrorists’ Along Shared Border

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “good agreements” were reached with senior Pakistani officials on combating “terrorists” along their shared border.

At the end of his visit to Islamabad on November 6, Araghchi told reporters that Iran and Pakistan have agreed to “intensify” efforts against “terrorists” in the border region, asserting that both sides believe the militant groups operating there are “closely linked” with Israel.

Araghchi claimed that the October 26 attack, which killed ten Iranian security forces in the border area, was coordinated with an Israeli strike on Iranian military sites occurring the same day, according to the ISNA news agency.

Reports indicate an increase in clashes between militant groups in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan and Iranian security forces, resulting in multiple security personnel fatalities.

The Baloch militant group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for several recent attacks on border guards, including the October 26 attack on an Iranian police convoy in Taftan County, which killed ten officers. On November 3, Iranian police reported the killing of the “lead terrorist” involved in that incident.

Simultaneously, in the early hours of October 26, Israeli forces launched “targeted” airstrikes on Iranian military sites, reportedly in response to Iran’s large-scale missile attack on Israel on October 1.

Brig. Gen. Ahmad Shafai, the deputy commander of the IRGC’s Quds Base in Sistan-Baluchestan, accused the United States and European nations of supplying weapons to militants in the province to destabilize Iran. He also stated that an “open-ended” operation is underway to eliminate “terrorists and thugs” in the area.

Following Araghchi’s meetings with Pakistani officials in Islamabad, where both sides pledged continued cooperation against “terrorism,” a joint operation was launched against militants near the border. Jaish al-Adl reported on its Telegram channel that 12 of its members were killed and four injured in a joint airstrike by Iran and Pakistan in the Saravan County border areas in Sistan-Baluchestan.

Jaish al-Adl, which has been designated a terrorist organization by Iran and several Western countries, also reaffirmed its commitment to continue its fight against Iran.

In January, Iran launched strikes on Jaish al-Adl bases in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, prompting Pakistan to target terrorist hideouts in Sistan-Baluchestan near the border.

For over 20 years, Baluch nationalists have waged a low-level insurgency in Sistan-Baluchestan, seeking independence. Militant groups such as Ansar al-Furqan and Jaish al-Adl have intensified their attacks on Iranian forces, claiming to defend the Sunni minority in predominantly Shia Iran. Iran considers Jaish al-Adl a foreign-backed terrorist organization.

The economically struggling province of Sistan-Baluchestan, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, is a known transit corridor for arms and drug smuggling.

The region also experienced significant unrest during nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, recording the highest casualties among Iran’s 31 provinces. With 131 protester deaths and 21 government personnel fatalities, protests in Sistan-Baluchestan have been particularly violent, with Tehran alleging links to Israel.