THE intensifying Yemeni Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia have triggered a debate over the possible activation of the Makkah accord. Statements and clarifications about possible and emerging scenarios are coming from all stakeholders. But a recent incident in Saravan county in Sistan-Baluchestan, close to the Pakistan border, has also drawn attention to the Iran-Pakistan border region. This has broadened the debate over the Gulf region’s security and evolving geopolitics, and Pakistan’s role in it.

The incident was reported on Sept 12, when heavy fighting between Iranian security forces and unidentified gunmen spread across parts of Saravan, with reports of attacks on military vehicles and dozens of security personnel killed or wounded. Although the identity of the armed group is not yet clear, some analysts have attributed the attack to Jaish al-Adl or the People’s Fighters Front, an alliance of several groups, reportedly including Jaish al-Adl.

Since the start of the conflict in West Asia, Balochistan’s security dynamics have changed. The conflict has altered the operating environment in which an existing insurgency was already functioning. The BLA and other allied groups have intensified their terrorist activities. The economic blockade announced by these groups has disrupted transportation and halted economic activity, particularly in the mineral sector. The closure of the frontier with Afghanistan and the partial closure of the border with Iran have contributed to the crisis. Taken together, these developments have affected the region’s security, internal political dynamics and geopolitical environment, bringing new........

© Dawn