Iran border: Mortars fired from Iran land in Mashkail

QUETTA: For some reason, Iran has once again started firing mortar shells in Pakistan’s Mashkail area overlooking the Jalk District of Iranian Balochistan on Sunday, but no one was hurt, local residents reached by telephone confirmed.

The locals confirmed that they heard four huge explosions within the gap of a few seconds, causing fear and panic.

“Iranian border guards launch attacks. They cause fear and panic among people,” a resident said.

People living close to the border came out of their houses and tried to seek shelter in safe places. “Posts of the security forces and other houses shuddered with every explosion,” he added.

It is the second time in less than a week that Iranian forces had violated the border. Earlier, an Iranian helicopter had violated the Pakistan airspace.



Mashkhail, a desert region close to Iranian border, seems to have become target for the Iranian forces, for some obvious reasons.

The Iranian authorities have accused Pakistani functionaries that they provide cover to gangs of narcotic dealers, drug pushers and human traffickers, and whenever they get a chance they push the people across the Iranian border.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2013.