The Pakistan Air Force conducts attacks on targets within Iranian territory amid tensions between the two countries

Pakistan Air Force carried out on Jan. 18, an air ofensive, involving the launch of precision airstrikes within Iranian borders just before dawn, "In response to alleged attacks launched from Iran on camps of Sunni militants, who oppose the regime of Iranian ayatollahs, and are located in Pakistan. Pakistan's fighters, including JF-17 Thunder jets, originated from the Masroor airbase and conducted pre-emptive strikes using long-range stand-off missiles. The strikes targeted seven locations within Iranian territory, over 80 kilometers from the border, and were reportedly aimed at high-value terrorist targets linked to the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF).

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) used precision-guided munitions, specifically the GIDS B-REK (Boosted Range Extension Kit), a rocket-boosted glide bomb with a range of 170 kilometers. The JF-17 jets were armed with this range-extension kit, enhancing their off-range-to-surface capabilities. Additionally, Pakistani J-10C jets provided coverage and defensive electronic warfare support.

The operations, named 'Marg Bar Sarmachar,' resulted in multiple terrorist casualties, as confirmed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Pakistan. Pakistan emphasized its ongoing concerns about terrorist groups allegedly finding safe havens on Iranian territory, providing evidence of their presence and activities.

The longstanding tensions between Iran and Pakistan regarding militant activities on their respective territories are highlighted. Both nations have accused each other of harboring militant groups, including the Jaish al-Adl Sunni separatist group. These groups share the common goal of establishing an independent Baluchistan for ethnic Baluch communities across Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

Baluch nationalists have been involved in low-level insurgency in both Pakistan's Baluchistan region and neighboring Iranian provinces, Sistan, and Baluchistan, over the last two decades. The airstrike's reported casualties included three women and four children, none of whom were Iranian citizens, according to Ali Reza Marhamati, a deputy governor of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province.