Commander Hopeful about Freedom of Abducted Iranian Guards (Update)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri expressed the hope about immediate freedom of five Iranian border guards who had been kidnapped near the Pakistani border earlier this month.
General Jazayeri said on Saturday evening that he hopes the measures taken by the two countries and Pakistani army's operation to free kidnapped individuals would yield definite results and the five abducted soldiers could return home.
The five Iranian soldiers have been abducted in Jakigour region in the eastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan on February 6 and held hostage inside the Pakistani territory.
The so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the abductions.
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham had refused to verify the reports on the freedom of the guards.
She told Tasnim that "there is no official report on the release of the soldiers," adding that talks with the Pakistani side are still ongoing.
Pakistan had been criticized by Iranian officials in recent days for its failure to secure its borders with Iran based on the joint security agreement signed by the two countries.
In February 2013, Tehran and Islamabad signed a security agreement which requires both sides to take strict measures to combat terrorism and human and drug trafficking.
