Freed Iranian Border Guards in Pakistan to Be Repatriated by IRGC Plane
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said a plane will be deployed to Pakistan to repatriate four border guards, who had been abducted by a terrorist group near the common borders in October last year.
The IRGC Ground Force and the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces made special efforts to secure the release of the border guards through cooperation with the Pakistani army, General Ramezan Sharif said on Thursday.
“Although (members of) the terrorist group initially made very illogical demands, they freed five border guards at the first phase and four others were released at this phase because of our approach to their strongholds… and the Pakistanis’ consultations,” the spokesman stated.
“Efforts are underway to release the remaining two border guards,” he said, adding that they would surely return to their families.
“Today, the IRGC Ground Force made necessary arrangements for the return of the four freed border guards to the country,” General Sharif said.
He further emphasized that the IRGC would deploy a plane to Pakistan on Thursday or Friday to repatriate the border guards.
On October 15, the so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group infiltrated the country from the Pakistani side of the border and took hostage 12 border guards, local Basij forces, and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) members.
The IRGC Ground Force’s Quds Base said on that day that the local Basij forces and the border regiment forces stationed at the border post in Mirjaveh region in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan had been abducted after “acts of treason and collusion” involving an element or elements of the anti-Revolution groups who had infiltrated the country.
On November 22, the IRGC said five of the abductees returned home after consultations and interaction with Pakistan.
Iranian military forces along the southeastern border areas are frequently attacked by terrorist groups coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tehran has frequently asked the two neighbors to step up security at the common border to prevent terrorist attacks on Iranian forces.
