Iran warns to ‘uproot’ border guards’ kidnappers

Press TV

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Tehran will seriously deal with the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group should they commit any brutal act against kidnapped Iranian border guards.

The warning comes in reaction to a recent execution threat by the abductors of the Iranian border guards who were kidnapped in Jakigour region in the southeastern Iranian Sistan-and-Baluchestan Province on February 6 and taken to Pakistani territory.

“Iran will not be affected by such threats, but if they commit such a savage act, we will act in accordance with our rights under international law and uproot them,” said Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, the spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran’s Majlis.

Pakistani officials have pledged to try their utmost to contact the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorists and learn about their demands, the parliamentarian added.

However, he said, no official talks have taken place yet between Pakistani authorities and the terrorists.

The Iranian legislator expressed hope that the “Pakistani government will hold necessary talks as soon as possible and set the stage for the release of the five individuals.”

In a tweet posted on the Internet on Wednesday, the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group, which has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, threatened to execute the abducted border guards in retaliation for the alleged hanging of one of their operatives in Iran.

The group said a “religious tribunal” has already handed down the death penalty to all five Iranian soldiers.

On October 25, 2013, Jaish-ul-Adl killed 14 Iranian border guards and wounded six others in the border region near the city of Saravan in Sistan-and-Baluchestan Province.

In February 2013, Iran and Pakistan signed a security agreement under which both countries are required to cooperate in preventing and combating organized crime, fighting terrorism and countering the activities that pose a threat to the national security of either country.

Iran has repeatedly called on Pakistan to comply with the terms of the agreement.

SF/NN/HRB