Iran's military forces have killed Ismail Shahbakhsh, a senior leader of Jaish al-Adl militant group, and his companions in Pakistan, according to a report.
Iran International English, which cited Iranian state media, claimed that Tehran's military forces killed the militant leader in an armed clash inside Pakistan territory. This comes a month after both the countries carried out airstrikes on each other's territories.
Tehran first fired missiles and drones at targets in Pakistan to destroy two "important headquarters" of Jaish al-Adl on January 16 night. Islamabad retaliated after claiming that the strikes killed two children and injured three others. On January 18, Pakistan targeted hideouts of the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Balochistan Liberation Front.
Following this, the two countries had mutually agreed to expand security cooperation and de-escalate tensions.
Who was Ismail Shahbakhsh?
Ismail Shahbakhsh was a senior leader of Jaish al-Adl, which has been designated as a "terrorist organisation" by Tehran. Operating in the country's southwestern Sistan-Baluchistan province, the Sunni militant group allegedly carried out terrorist activities on Iranian soil.