TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahiconfirmed that the five border guards abducted along Iran-Pakistan border on February 5 are safe and sound.The latest news reports indicate the good health conditions of the five abducted Iranian border guards, Abdollahi told FNA on Saturday.
He reiterated that the foreign ministry as well as the Iranian and Pakistani ambassadors are following up the case and all efforts are being made to secure the release of the abducted border guards.
On Thursday, Abdollahi said that Iran is planning to send a delegation to Islamabad soon to pursue the case of its abducted border guards.
He underlined that the members of the terrorist group have crossed the border into Iran and returned to Pakistani soil after kidnapping Irans border guards.
Abdollahi criticized the Pakistani government for failing to control the border, and said, Islamabad has to fulfill its commitments under the security agreement between the two countries.
On February 9, Irans Police Chief Brigadier General Esmayeel Ahmadi Moqaddam voiced concern over the presence of terrorist groups in Pakistan's territories, and underlined that Iran's police along with the Foreign Ministry are resolved to do their best to clear the fate of the five Iranian guards abducted at the Iran-Pakistan border.
Ahmadi Moqaddam criticized the performance of the Pakistani government and its border police in the joint border region.
He then asked how it is possible that certain elements ambush the Iranian guards, kidnap them, take them to Pakistan and release some photos of them.
He further called on the Iranian Foreign Ministry to investigate the case.
Last Saturday, the outlawed Jeish Al-Adl radical Sunni Wahhabi movement claimed responsibility for the abduction of 5 Iranian border guards in Southeastern Iran.
The Jeish Al-Adl released a photo of the kidnapped border guards on its Tweeter page and claimed the responsibility for their abduction on Saturday.
Earlier reports said that they had been transferred to Pakistan which has a long border with Iran in the Southeastern parts of the country.
On Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran Nour Mohammad Jadmani to explain about the fate of the five Iranian border guards who were abducted in the Southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan on Wednesday and were transferred to Pakistan's territory.
The director-general of West Asia Office of the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday invited the Pakistani envoy and conveyed the Islamic Republics displeasure and official protest to him over the terrorist attack and the abduction of Iranian border guards.
The Iranian official pointed to several terrorist attacks along Irans border with Pakistan over the recent months and called on Pakistani officials to guarantee the safe return of the border guards to Iran.
The Foreign Ministry official also urged the Pakistani government to hand over the perpetrators of the terrorist act to Tehran and to take serious measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
The Pakistani diplomat, who was handed an official protest note from Iran during the meeting, expressed regret over the terrorist operation.
Jadmani said he would convey Irans message to Islamabad to pursue the issue.
Also, last November, Jeish Al-Adl claimed responsibility for the assassination of Zabol prosecutor.
In the early hours of November 6, unknown assailants killed the prosecutor of Zabol city in Sistan and Balouchestan province, Mousa Nouri, and his driver while they were on their way to work.
But, Iranian officials rejected the claim, saying Jeish Al-Adl was just bluffing to boast about its power. Iranian officials said another terrorist group had most likely conducted the attack. A few weeks later, Iranian security forces arrested the terrorists who were said to be not a member of Jeish Al-Adl.
Jeish Al-Adl had also killed 14 Iranian border guards two weeks before Nouri's terror incident.
By Fars News Agency
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