Five Kidnapped Border Guards Freed
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Five of 12 border guards abducted in October by terrorists near the Pakistani border have been released, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Gen. Muhammad Ali Jafari said on Thursday.
The five have been "handed over to the Pakistani government" which confirmed the news and has promised to help free the Iranian guards.
The guards were abducted in a pre-dawn raid near the Loukdan border crossing in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province a month ago. The terrorist group Jaish al-Adl had claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Pakistan said its security forces safely recovered the five Iranian guards.
"With concerted efforts of Pakistani law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and armed forces, five abducted Iranian guards have been safely recovered,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said in a statement in Islamabad.
Faisal said: "They are in good health, being handed over to Iranian authorities.” He added efforts were being made "to recover the other guards”.
Pakistan briefed Tehran about "active efforts” to locate the abducted guards during two visits by Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif to Islamabad in one month.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi blamed the kidnapping on "our common enemies unhappy with the existing close, friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran”.
Jaish al-Adl, formed in 2012, is a successor to the terrorist Jundallah group which has carried out a spate of attacks on Iranians in recent years in Sistan and Baluchestan province.
The five have been "handed over to the Pakistani government" which confirmed the news and has promised to help free the Iranian guards.
The guards were abducted in a pre-dawn raid near the Loukdan border crossing in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province a month ago. The terrorist group Jaish al-Adl had claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Pakistan said its security forces safely recovered the five Iranian guards.
"With concerted efforts of Pakistani law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and armed forces, five abducted Iranian guards have been safely recovered,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said in a statement in Islamabad.
Faisal said: "They are in good health, being handed over to Iranian authorities.” He added efforts were being made "to recover the other guards”.
Pakistan briefed Tehran about "active efforts” to locate the abducted guards during two visits by Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif to Islamabad in one month.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi blamed the kidnapping on "our common enemies unhappy with the existing close, friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran”.
Jaish al-Adl, formed in 2012, is a successor to the terrorist Jundallah group which has carried out a spate of attacks on Iranians in recent years in Sistan and Baluchestan province.