Unidentified gunmen killed nine Pakistani employees in a restive southeastern border space of Iran on Saturday, Pakistan’s ambassador and a rights group mentioned, amid efforts by the 2 international locations to fix ties after tit-for-tat assaults.

“Deeply shocked by the horrifying killing of 9 Pakistanis in Saravan. The embassy will extend full support to bereaved families,” the Pakistani ambassador to Tehran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipi, mentioned on the X platform. “We called upon Iran to extend full cooperation in the matter.”

The Baluch rights group Haalvash mentioned on its web site that the victims had been Pakistani labourers who lived at an auto restore store the place they labored. Three others had been wounded, it mentioned.

Iran’s state media recognized the lifeless solely as overseas nationals and mentioned no people or teams had claimed duty for the shootings in Saravan in stressed Sistan-Baluchestan province.

“It is a horrifying and despicable incident, and we condemn it unequivocally,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch mentioned. “We are in touch with Iranian authorities and have underscored the need to immediately investigate the incident and hold to account those involved.”

The shootings occurred as Iranian state media mentioned the Pakistani and Iranian ambassadors had been returning to their postings after being recalled when the neighbouring international locations exchanged missile strikes final week aimed toward what every mentioned had been militant targets.

“The Iran-Pakistan border creates an opportunity for economic exchanges… and must be protected against any insecurity,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi instructed Mudassir Tipi as he acquired the ambassador’s credentials on Saturday, state media reported.

The impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan area has lengthy been the scene of sporadic clashes between safety forces and separatist militants and smugglers carrying opium from Afghanistan, the world’s high producer of the drug.
Iran has a number of the lowest gasoline costs in the world and this has additionally led to growing gasoline smuggling to Pakistan and Afghanistan regardless of a crackdown by Iranian border guards.