ISLAMABAD: Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, targeting separatist Baloch militants, its foreign ministry said, two days after Tehran said it had attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory.
The neighbors have had rocky relations in the past, but the strikes are the highest-profile cross-border intrusion in recent years, for which Tehran has demanded an explanation, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said.
The Iran-Pakistan exchange deepens worries about instability across the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, with Iran’s allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar will cut short a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos and return home, a foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Earlier, Iranian media said several missiles hit a village in the Sistan-Baluchestan province that borders Pakistan, killing three women and four children, all non-Iranians.
“A number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, describing it as a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts.”
“Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ministry added in its statement.
“The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest, which is paramount and cannot be compromised.”
Tehran has asked Islamabad for an explanation about the strikes, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said, citing an unidentified official. Pakistan’s charge’d affaires, its most senior diplomat in Tehran, has been summoned, Iranian media said.
A Pakistani intelligence source told Reuters the strikes were carried out by military aircraft.
“Our forces have conducted strikes to target Baloch militants inside Iran,” said the official in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.
“The targeted militants belong to BLF,” he added, referring to the Baloch Liberation Front, which seeks independence for Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Iran said on Tuesday it had hit Israel-linked militant bases inside Pakistan. Both targeted groups are ethnically Baloch, but it was not clear if they co-operate.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan said civilians had been hit and two children killed, warning of consequences for which Tehran would be responsible.
Islamabad recalled its ambassador from Iran on Wednesday in protest against what it called a “blatant breach” of its sovereignty.
Escalation fears
Iran had been flexing its muscles in the region, even before its cross-border incursion into Pakistan.
It launched strikes on Syria against what Tehran said were Islamic State sites and Iraq, where it said it had struck an Israeli espionage center. Baghdad recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
The neighbors had appeared to be improving ties, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Pakistan’s Kakar meeting at Davos this week, before the Iranian strikes on Pakistan.
Pakistan’s comments after its retaliatory strikes signal a desire to keep the row contained, but analysts warned it could get out of hand.
“Iran’s motivation for attacking Pakistan remains opaque but in light of broader Iranian behavior in the region it can escalate,” Asfandyr Mir, a senior expert on South Asia security at the US Institute of Peace, told Reuters.
“What will cause anxiety in Tehran is that Pakistan has crossed a line by hitting inside Iranian territory, a threshold that even the US and Israel have been careful to not breach.”
Khwaja Asif, Pakistan’s defense minister until August, said the action was retaliatory.
“A measured response has been given and it was important,” he told Geo TV. “There should be ongoing efforts on the side that this doesn’t escalate.”
Both targeted militant groups operate in an area that includes Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan and Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. Both are restive, mineral-rich and largely underdeveloped.
The BLF, which Islamabad targeted inside Iran, is waging an armed insurgency against the Pakistani state.
This includes hitting Chinese citizens and investments in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province by land mass, but its least populated and developed. Large portions are lawless.
The Jaish al Adl (JAA), which Iran targeted, is also an ethnic militant group, but with Sunni Islamist leanings that primarily Shiite Iran sees as a threat.
The group has carried out attacks in Iran against its powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In its previous incarnation as Jundallah, the group had pledged allegiance to Iraq- and Syria-based jihadist group Daesh.
Pakistan hits 'terrorist hideouts' in airstrike on Iran
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Pakistan hits 'terrorist hideouts' in airstrike on Iran
One dead, nine wounded in Russian strikes on Ukraine’s Kherson
The strike on Kherson followed other deadly attacks in recent days
KYIV: Russian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding nine others as Moscow forces continued daily attacks across the country.
The city of Kherson was struck with glide bombs on Wednesday morning, and when rescue teams arrived at the scene, Russian forces launched an artillery barrage, said the region’s head, Oleksandr Prokudin. “This is a deliberate tactic by Russia to hinder the rescue of the injured and harm doctors, rescuers, and police,” he said.
The attack damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, residential buildings and civilian vehicles, Prokudin added.
The strike on Kherson followed other deadly attacks in recent days. On Palm Sunday, two Russian ballistic missile hit the northeastern city of Sumy near the Russian border, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100 others in the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians this year. The Russian military said that the strike targeted a gathering of senior military officers, but did not offer evidence.
In Sumy on Wednesday, mourners buried 11-year old Maksym Martynenko — one of two children killed in the attack — and his parents Nataliia and Mykola. Their three caskets were open for final farewells at a church in the city center before the bodies were taken to the family’s village for burial in the same plot.
“I can’t believe that one family, just like that, one day … just went away, just like that,” said Daria Doroshenko, Maksym’s school teacher.
Pastor Artem Tovmasian, a friend of the family, said at the service that their deaths were a tragedy that “should be condemned in a real way.” He said the international community’s reaction should not be just “words of condolence,” but action.
The attack on Sumy and other areas came even as Moscow and Kyiv both agreed last month to implement a 30-day halt on strikes on energy facilities. Both parties have differed on the start time for stopping strikes and alleged daily breaches by the other side.
The Russian military said it downed 26 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions early Wednesday.
Asked Wednesday if Russia is going to stop abiding by the limited ceasefire after 30 days, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demurred, saying the decision will be made later.
Moscow has effectively refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire that President Donald Trump has sought and Ukraine has endorsed. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it conditional on a halt in Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and Western arms supplies, the demands rejected by Ukraine. Kyiv believes Moscow’s forces are gearing up for a fresh offensive.
Russian forces hold the battlefield advantage in Ukraine, pressing attacks in several sectors of the 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) frontline, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is planning a new offensive to improve its negotiating position.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris on Thursday for “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed.”
Rubio will also “discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Wikoff, who visited Russia on Friday for his third meeting with Putin that lasted nearly five hours, told Fox News earlier this week that the Russian leader wants a “permanent peace,” noting that a prospective peace deal would focus on Russian claims for five Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Witkoff’s comment, emphasizing that Ukraine will never recognize any temporarily occupied territories as Russian.
Commenting on ongoing negotiations with the US over a prospective agreement that would give the US access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources, Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said the US and Ukrainian teams have achieved “significant progress.”
She said that both sides are working on a “memorandum of intent” that would reflect positive developments in the talks, adding that “we are preparing to complete the formalization of the agreement in the near future.”
The deal, which needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament, “will provide opportunities for investment and development in Ukraine, and will also provide conditions for tangible economic growth for both Ukraine and the United States,” Svyrydenko said.
In Russia, the authorities on Wednesday arrested Alexei Smirnov, former governor of the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces still hold onto a patch of land after a surprise incursion in August 2024.
Smirnov, who served as the Kursk governor in May-December 2024, his former deputy, three other officials and contractors in the region have been accused of fraud and embezzling the money allocated for building fortifications on the border with Ukraine.
If convicted, Smirnov is facing up to 10 years in prison.
Kyiv’s forces pushed into Kursk on Aug. 6, 2024, in a surprise attack, overwhelming lightly armed Russian border guards and a few infantry units. Russian forces have since driven Ukrainian troops out of Sudzha, the biggest town they have held since the incursion, and some of the other areas, but Kyiv’s forces still hold onto a patch of land there.
Anxiety clouds Easter for West Bank Christians
- ‘There is a constant fear, you go to bed with it, you wake up with it’
ZABABDEH: In the mainly Christian Palestinian town of Zababdeh, the runup to Easter has been overshadowed by nearby Israeli military operations, which have proliferated in the occupied West Bank alongside the Gaza war.
This year unusually Easter falls on the same weekend for all of the town’s main Christian communities — Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican — and residents have attempted to busy themselves with holiday traditions like making date cakes or getting ready for the scout parade.
But their minds have been elsewhere.
Dozens of families from nearby Jenin have found refuge in Zababdeh from the continual Israeli military operations that have devastated the city and its adjacent refugee camp this year.
“The other day, the (Israeli) army entered Jenin, people were panicking, families were running to pick up their children,” said Zababdeh resident Janet Ghanam.
“There is a constant fear, you go to bed with it, you wake up with it,” the 57-year-old Anglican added, before rushing off to one of the last Lenten prayers before Easter.
Ghanam said her son had told her he would not be able to visit her for Easter this year, for fear of being stuck at the Israeli military roadblocks that have mushroomed across the territory.
Zababdeh looks idyllic, nestled in the hills of the northern West Bank, but the roar of Israeli air force jets sometimes drowns out the sound of its church bells.
“It led to a lot of people to think: ‘Okay, am I going to stay in my home for the next five years?’” said Saleem Kasabreh, an Anglican deacon in the town.
“Would my home be taken away? Would they bomb my home?“
Kasabreh said this “existential threat” was compounded by constant “depression” at the news from Gaza, where the death toll from the Israel’s response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack now tops 51,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Zababdeh has been spared the devastation wreaked on Gaza, but the mayor’s office says nearly 450 townspeople lost their jobs in Israel when Palestinian work permits were rescinded after the Hamas attack.
“Israel had never completely closed us in the West Bank before this war,” said 73-year-old farmer Ibrahim Daoud. “Nobody knows what will happen.”
Many say they are stalked by the spectre of exile, with departures abroad fueling fears that Christians may disappear from the Holy Land.
“People can’t stay without work and life isn’t easy,” said 60-year-old math teacher Tareq Ibrahim.
Mayor Ghassan Daibes echoed his point.
“For a Christian community to survive, there must be stability, security and decent living conditions. It’s a reality, not a call for emigration,” he said.
“But I’m speaking from lived experience: Christians used to make up 30 percent of the population in Palestine; today, they are less than one percent.
“And this number keeps decreasing. In my own family, I have three brothers abroad — one in Germany, the other two in the United States.”
Catholic priest Elias Tabban adopted a more stoical attitude, insisting his congregation’s spirituality had never been so vibrant.
“Whenever the Church is in hard times... (that’s when) you see the faith is growing,” Tabban said.
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Watch How’ cafe in Riyadh
RIYADH: If you’re tired of overpriced cafes in Riyadh that look good but disappoint your taste buds, Watch How is a refreshing change.
This spot blends simplicity, quality and affordability — all wrapped in a calm, earthy atmosphere that feels like a slow morning in Europe.
We started with their classic croissant for SR12 ($3.20) which was flaky on the outside, soft and buttery inside, with that perfect golden crispness.
Their cinnamon social for SR16 ($4.27) was warm, slightly gooey, and topped with just the right amount of icing — not overly sweet, just balanced.
The baked potato and cheese had a comforting, homemade vibe with creamy filling and a golden crust.
The ribbon cheesecake stood out with its rich cream cheese, jam swirls, and light biscuit base. And the French toast — a soft brioche soaked in vanilla custard, caramelized on the edges, and finished with powdered sugar — was indulgent but not heavy.
Their drinks are just as well thought out. The SR12 latte was smooth and bold, with a silky finish, while the matcha, which goes for SR23 ($6.13), had that perfect earthiness, not bitter, and frothed to perfection.
Watch How, with its welcoming staff, is a space that invites you to stay, sip, and enjoy without rushing.
So what’s the downside? The parking situation. It’s a small, popular spot — which means parking is almost impossible to find during busy hours. Not ideal if you’re in a hurry, but definitely worth the effort if you plan ahead.
For more, check their Instagram @watchhow.sa.
Rubio, Jordanian prime minister discuss boosting investment, State Department says
- Pair discussed the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of the Gaza Strip and West Bank
WASHINGTON, DC: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan discussed ways to expand economic cooperation and increase investments between the two nations, the State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
The pair also discussed the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, the statement added.
Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Ambassador of Mauritania to the Kingdom Mokhtar Ould Dahi in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and various issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Faisal Al-Harbi presented a copy of his credentials as non-resident ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pholile Dlamini Shakantu, the Eswatinian foreign minister, the Saudi Embassy in South Africa wrote on X.
