At 6:00am, Pakistani JF-17 and J-10C struck ’80km into Iran’

Early Thursday, Pakistan executed reciprocal air strikes against its neighbor, Iran, utilizing fighter jets, specifically the JF-17 ‘Thunder’ and J-10C ‘Vigorous Dragon’, manufactured in China.

In addition to this, Pakistan employed Chinese Unmanned Aerial Vehicles recognized as Wing Loong II, as part of an operation dubbed ‘Marg Bar Samachar’, or “death to the guerrilla fighters”.

Many reported that the Pakistan Air Force initiated these air strikes as a response to Iran’s actions, aiming at insurgent establishments and escalating the dispute with Tehran. The strikes occurred on Thursday in Sistan and Baluchistan, coming after Iran’s attack on Tuesday with ballistic missiles on Pakistani soil. The pair share a border some 900 kilometers in length, known for its porous nature.

Just before dawn broke, Pakistan launched its air offensive. Open-source intelligence reports suggest that moments before 0600 hours on Thursday, Pakistan’s strike squadron, which included JF-17 Thunder jets from the Number 2 ‘Minhasians’ Multirole Squadron originated from the Pakistan Air Force’s [PAF] Masroor airbase, carried out a set of deadly precise air strikes within Iranian borders.

Operating within Pakistani air limits, the PAF fighter jets engaged in “pre-emptive” strikes implementing long-range stand-off missiles.

Seven spots were successfully targeted after UAVs verified the locations of “high-value terrorist targets” during aerial surveillance. The medium-altitude long-endurance Wing Loong UAVs designed for strikes were utilized throughout the operations.

The PAF fighters utilized precision-guided munitions to attack targets within Iran’s borders, reportedly linked to the Balochistan-based terrorist organization, the BLF. The targeted areas were over 80 kilometers inside Iranian territory, with reports indicating seven casualties from the strikes.

Primarily used by Pakistan in aerial strikes, the precision-guided weapon known as the GIDS B-REK [Boosted Range Extension Kit] is a rocket-boosted glide bomb with an impressive range of 170 kilometers.

JF-17 was armed with this range-extension kit by Pakistan in March 2017. This off-range-to-surface weapon was produced by the Global Industrial and Defense Solutions [GIDS].

Similar to the US JDAM-ER, the REK converts the MK-80 series general-purpose bombs into GPS/INS-guided bombs with a range of 50-60 kilometers and an accuracy of less than 20 meters CEP. Pakistani J-10C jets provided coverage and defensive electronic warfare as a backup.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Pakistan, in a statement, confirmed: “This morning Pakistan carried out a series of highly-coordinated and specific targeted military strikes on terrorist hideouts in the Sistan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran. The operations dubbed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’ resulted in multiple terrorist casualties.”

Pakistan emphasized its ongoing concerns about the safe havens terrorist groups of Pakistani origin were allegedly enjoying on Iranian territory. They also shared multiple documents showcasing evidence of these suspects’ presence and activity.

Both Iran and Pakistan, countries armed with nuclear powers, have long pointed fingers at each other over militant activities. Numerous militant groups, including the Jaish al-Adl Sunni separatist group targeted by Tehran, reside in both nations. These groups all have a common ambition of establishing an independent Baluchistan for the ethnic Baluch communities in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

Over the last 20 years, Baluch nationalists have been engaged in low-level insurgency both in Pakistan’s Baluchistan region and neighboring Iranian provinces, Sistan, and Baluchistan.

According to the Associated Press, Ali Reza Marhamati, a deputy governor of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, confirmed Thursday’s strike and noted the casualties included three women and four children, none of whom were Iranian citizens.