A spokesman for the Sunni group Jeysh-ol-Adl says the abducted border officers are in Iranian territory, and Pakistan’s foreign ministry has also announced that the Iranian hostages are not in Pakistan.
The Fars News Agency reports that Abdolraof Rigi, a spokesman for the group, told the Pakistani newspaper Ummat that it will be proven eventually that Jeysh-ol-Adl is in Iran and the hostage border officials are being held in Iran.
“Jeysh-ol-Adl does not enter Iran from Pakistan or other countries, and its main base is inside Iranian territory,” Rigi was quoted as saying.
He went on to confirm the execution of one Iranian border officer, adding that the others are in good health and will be released if Iran meets Jeysh-ol-Adl’s demands.
Abdolraof Rigi, who is the younger brother of Abdolmalek Rigi and the former leader of Jundollah, was arrested and hanged by the Iranian authorities in June of 2010. Jundollah is also a militant Sunni group in the Sistan-Baluchistan region.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani foreign ministry announced today that it has searched the region and believes that the abducted Iranians are not in Pakistani territory.
