Pakistan said on Thursday it had carried out airstrikes against separatist militants in Iran, the latest step in a tense standoff after Iran’s missile and drone strikes in the South Asian nation’s border province of Balochistan.
Here are some facts on the group Pakistan targeted and the restive province at the heart of the tension.
WHICH GROUP DID PAKISTAN TARGET IN IRAN?
The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), which an intelligence official called the target of Pakistan’s strikes in Iran, seeks independence for Pakistan’s western province of Balochistan.
Ethnic Baloch militants have battled the government for decades for a separate state, saying the central government unfairly exploits the province’s rich gas and mineral resources of Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.
The BLF is among the insurgents who often target gas projects, infrastructure and security posts there, but have begun launching attacks in other parts of Pakistan.
They also attack Chinese projects, and occasionally kill Chinese workers despite Pakistan’s assurances that it is doing all it can to protect the Chinese projects.