Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar.17
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Several military commanders have been dismissed from service and others have been sent to face court proceedings due to their negligence after five Iranian border guards were abducted on Feb. 6, the Mehr News agency quoted Iran's border guard commander Hossein Zolfaqari as saying on March 17.
According to the latest information, all five border guards are safe and sound, he said, rejecting rumours that one had been killed.
He criticised the Pakistani government and intelligence services and said they should intensify the security forces along the border.
Five Iranian border guards were abducted in the Jakigour region in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province on Feb. 6 and taken to Pakistan. Iranian officials held Pakistan accountable over the issue.
The Jaish-ul-Adl group tweeted on Feb. 26 that its religious court has sentenced the five Iranian soldiers to death after the Iranian side executed one of the relatives of the group's members in Iran.
Pakistan has found the hiding place of the Jaish-ul-Adl group, an official with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Rafiei said on Feb. 25.
Iranian media outlets quoted the country's Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi as saying on Feb. 21 that Iran has sent a delegation toPakistan's Balochistan to negotiate for the release of the kidnapped soldiers.
Edited by S.M.