Baku, Azerbaijan, March 1
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
Details added (first version posted at 15:51)
Iran's five border guards, who were earlier kidnapped by the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group, have been released today, Iranian MP from Iranshahr city of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Mohammad Saeed Arbabi said, ISNA reported on March 1.
But Arbabi but didn't comment on how and with whose help the border guards were released.
However, later Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Reza Haqiqian said the information about the release of the border guards has not been officially confirmed.
"We will inform about this if there is an official confirmation," he added.
Five Iranian border guards were abducted in the Jakigour region in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province on Feb. 6 and transferred to Pakistani territory. Iranian officials held Pakistan accountable on the issue.
Jaish-ul-Adl group tweeted on Feb. 26 that its religious court has sentenced five Iranian soldiers to death, after 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, 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 to Pakistan's Balochistan to negotiate for the release of kidnapped soldiers.
The delegation headed by Iranian Sistan and Baluchistan Province's deputy-governor for political and security affairs, Ali Asghar Mirshekari was sent on Feb. 19 to Pakistan, Abdollahi said, adding that the delegation is negotiating for freedom of the soldiers.
He did not unveil any further details about the result of the negotiations.
Translated by E.A.