Pakistan strongly slams terrorist attack on Iran’s security forces

• Pakistan expresses deepest condolences to bereaved families of martyrs.
• Mutual efforts urged to eliminate terrorism on both sides of border.
• Aim of terrorist groups is to disrupt security of common borders: Iran.

Pakistan has “strongly condemned” the terrorist attack on Iran’s security forces in the Sarawan County of the country, resulting in the death of six Iranian personnel.

“The government and people of Pakistan express their deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the martyrs as well as to the Iranian government over this tragic incident,” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Sunday.

As reaffirmed during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Ebrahim Raisi, the FO said Pakistan stressed upon the need for mutual efforts to eliminate terrorism on both sides of the border.

“Pakistan views the Pak-Iran border as a border of peace and friendship; and remains committed to working with Iran towards that end,” it added.

The guards were killed in Sarawan, near Iran's border with Pakistan, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said.

Sunday's attack was carried out by "a terrorist group that was seeking to infiltrate the country" but whose members "fled the scene after suffering injuries", IRNA added.

"Certainly, the aim of these terrorist groups is to disrupt the security of the common borders and the security of the people living on the borders of the two countries," Iran foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.

The attack was one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.

On March 11, two policemen were shot dead during clashes with "criminals" in the same region, IRNA reported at the time.

— With additional input from AFP.