Pakistan on Thursday struck targets in Iran, a day after warning Tehran of “consequences” over its attack on the Jaish al-Adl group’s headquarters, media reports claimed. 

Pakistan has reportedly attacked the posts of the Baloch separatist groups Balochistan Liberation Front and the Balochistan Liberation Army.

Iran had attacked the Jaish al-Adl group’s headquarters in Pakistan with “missile and drone” on Tuesday, calling it “another decisive step taken by Iran in response to the aggression against the security of our country”.

Condemning Iran’s “violation of its airspace”, Pakistan warned the neighbouring country that such actions can have “serious consequences”.

“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this “illegal act” and the responsibility for the consequences will lie “squarely” with Iran, Islamabad said.

“We have conveyed this message to the Iranian Government. We have also informed them that Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being. We have also decided to suspend all high level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days,” the spokesperson added.

Jaish al-Adl, which is blacklisted by Iran as a terrorist group, was formed in 2012 and has carried out several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.

The idol of Ram Lalla reached the Ayodhya temple late Wednesday evening and was lifted using a crane to place it in the sanctum sanctorum where it will be installed ahead of ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony.

The idol, carved in black stone by Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj and weighing around 150-200 kg, was lifted by a crane from the truck that reached the temple along with a procession in the evening. The procession also stopped briefly at the Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya in a symbolic halt.

An image later showed the idol being placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple as the workers looked on. A special puja was held in the sanctum sanctorum before the idol was brought inside.

It is likely to be installed in the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday, said Shri Ram Mandir Construction Committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra.

The idol was brought inside the temple for the first time on Wednesday, which marked the second day of the weeklong rituals before Monday’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

Preparations to take the idol to the new Ram temple complex were on since last night. The idol was placed on a truck decorated with flowers late at night for the procession with the help of a crane.

Meanwhile, a silver idol of Ram Lalla (not the same one to be installed in the sanctum sanctorum) garlanded with roses and marigolds toured the premises of Ram temple this evening. A “Kalash Pujan” was held today as part of rituals being performed in the run-up to the January 22 event.

In yet another incident of violence in Manipur, three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were injured last night when a mob attacked police headquarters in Thoubal district. The mob violence took place hours after two commandos were killed in the border down of Moreh, less than a 100 km from Thoubal, after armed militants attacked a police team last morning.

According to police, the mob first targeted the complex of 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion in Thoubal’s Khangabok area. Security personnel managed to disperse the mob using “minimum necessary force”, the police added.

Today (17.01.2024), an irate mob targeted the 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion (3IRB) in Khangabok, Thoubal District. Security forces repelled them using the minimum necessary force. Further, the mob attempted to breach Thoubal Police Headquarters, prompting the security forces to…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) January 17, 2024

“Further, the mob attempted to breach Thoubal Police Headquarters, prompting the security forces to use legal force. Armed miscreants from among the mob fired with live rounds. As a result, 03 (three) personnel from BSF sustained bullet injuries namely (i) Constable Gourav Kumar, (ii) ASI Sobram Singh, and (iii) ASI Ramji,” the police said in a statement posted on X.

The injured BSF personnel, they said, have been evacuated and admitted to an Imphal hospital.

Sporadic incidents of violence have kept Manipur on the edge for months now since ethnic violence broke out in the state last year over the Meitie community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The demand was opposed by the tribal Kuki-Zo community.

Amid the ethnic clashes, weapons were looted from security installations, arming militants and fuelling a cycle of violence. 

Following the attack in Moreh yesterday, an emergency meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s secretariat. Chief Minister N Biren Singh, his cabinet colleagues and MLAs were present at the meeting.