Pakistan confirms killing of its citizens in 'heinous' Iran attack

Pakistan has confirmed the killing of a number of its citizens in a terrorist attack in southeastern Iran.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said they were in touch with Iranian authorities and asked Tehran to immediately investigate the incident and hold to account those involved in this "heinous crime."

“It is a horrifying and despicable incident and we condemn it unequivocally," spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.

According to Baloch, Pakistan's consul in Zahedan was on his way to the hospital where injured people were being treated and will reach there in a few hours.

"He will also meet local authorities, and among other things, impress upon them the urgent need for strong action against the perpetrators of this crime," she said.

The latest development came just a day after Pakistan sent its ambassador back to Iran to resume his duties in Tehran following a diplomatic row triggered by an exchange of missile attacks on each other's territories last week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is also expected to arrive in Pakistan on Monday at the invitation of his counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani.

Baloch said that Islamabad was taking all necessary measures over the grave matter. "Such cowardly attacks cannot deter Pakistan from its determination to fight terrorism," said Baloch.

Earlier, the Iranian media reported that gunmen in southeastern Iran near the Pakistan border killed nine foreign nationals.

"According to witnesses, this morning unknown armed men killed nine non-Iranians in a house in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city" in Sistan-Baluchestan province, the Mehr news agency reported.

So far, no group or individuals claimed responsibility, the agency added.

On January 18, Pakistan launched air strikes on "militant targets" in Iran, two days after Iran had launched strikes on its territory.

Tehran said it had targeted Jaish al Adl, a group which has carried out a spate of deadly attacks in Iran in recent months.

The Iranian strikes, which Pakistan said killed at least two children, drew a sharp rebuke from Islamabad, which recalled its ambassador from Tehran and blocked Iran's envoy from returning to Islamabad.

Tehran also summoned Islamabad's charge d'affaires over Pakistan's strikes, which left at least nine people dead.

The two countries, however, announced last Monday that they had decided to de-escalate and resume diplomatic missions with the two ambassadors returning to their posts.