Police Chief Optimistic about Freedom of Kidnapped Iranian Border Guards

Speaking to reporters in the southeastern city of Zahedan, the provincial capital city of Sistan and Balouchestan, Ahmadi Moqaddam referred to Iran’s agreements with the Pakistani government for securing the release of the border guards, and expressed the hope that the kidnapped guards would soon return to their families.

The five were kidnapped in Jakigour region in Sistan and Balouchestan province on February 6 and taken to Pakistan.

The so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the abductions.

Jaish-ul-Adl, which is widely believed to be a Saudi-backed ultraconservative Salafi group, had killed 14 Iranian border guards and wounded three others in the city of Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province last October.

Ahmadi Moqaddam further reiterated that in order to ensure its border security, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to launch military operations inside the neighboring country’s territory.

Previously, Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli had suggested that Tehran could send forces into Pakistan to free the five soldiers.

Iranian officials have stressed in the recent days that the Pakistani government has a commitment to secure its borders with Iran based on the joint security agreement signed by the two countries.

In February 2013, Tehran and Islamabad signed a security agreement which requires both sides to take strict measures to combat terrorism and human and drug trafficking.