Iran's Interior Minister and Armed Forces Chief Contact Pakistani Officials for the Release of Iranian Border Guards

The Interior Minister and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, in a phone call with the Commander of the Army and the Interior Minister of Pakistan, called for "swift and decisive action" from Pakistan for the release of 14 Iranian military personnel and their abductors. According to IRNA news agency, Mohammad Hossein Baqeri stated on Friday evening, October 19, during a phone call with Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Commander of the Pakistan Army, that Iran expects Pakistan's armed forces to "make efforts for the quicker release of the kidnapped soldiers and border guards" based on agreements between the armed forces of the two countries to ensure security along their shared borders. Baqeri also requested an increased presence and deployment of Pakistani military and border guard forces along the common borders with the Islamic Republic of Iran to "strengthen and stabilize security" in these areas. According to the report, General Bajwa also explained the actions of the Pakistan Army for the release of the kidnapped military personnel during this phone call. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, also called for action from Pakistan for the release of the border guards and the arrest of their abductors during a phone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart on Wednesday, October 17. Meanwhile, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Interior Minister, reiterated this request during a phone call with Shahryar Afridi, his Pakistani counterpart, stating that Iranian military and law enforcement forces are ready to cooperate with the Pakistani side to achieve "common goals" regarding border security. According to the report, Shahryar Afridi, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, also mentioned that the country's patrol aircraft are "monitoring suspects and we have good operational cooperation with Iranian forces in this regard." Last Tuesday, 14 Iranian military personnel were kidnapped, and the group "Jaish al-Adl" announced that its members had completely disarmed a watchtower in the Mirjaveh district early on Tuesday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has mentioned the role of "infiltrators" in this incident, with the commander of the IRGC stating that these individuals were "first rendered unconscious" and then abducted. Iranian military and security officials have repeatedly criticized Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of "delaying" in ensuring security along their shared borders. The Islamic Republic has also previously fired rockets twice into Pakistani territory. The group Jaish al-Adl, which has clashed multiple times with Iranian border guards in this province, claims to defend the "Sunni people" in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, while Iranian officials label this group as "terrorist" and affiliated with foreign countries.