China has asked Pakistan and Iran to exercise "restraint", following Islamabad's claim that Tehran had launched an airstrike on its territory that resulted in the deaths of two children.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a routine briefing on Wednesday, "We call on both sides to exercise restraint, avoid actions that would lead to an escalation of tension and work together to maintain peace and stability."
"We consider both Iran and Pakistan as close neighbours and major Islamic countries," she said.
Also Read: Pakistan holds Iranian govt, Revolutionary Guards, intel responsible for Panjgur attack
Late on Tuesday, Pakistan condemned the strike near their shared border, calling it "completely unacceptable" and claiming it was unprovoked.
Iran did not immediately provide an official statement, but its state-run news outlet, Nour News, said the operation destroyed the Jaish al-Adl group's headquarters in Balochistan's Panjgur area.
Also Read: Pakistan strongly condemns Iran's 'unprovoked violation' of air space, summons envoy
Jaish al-Adl, which was founded in 2012 and is considered a terrorist organization by Iran, has carried out multiple attacks on Iranian territory in the past few years. Iran has earlier undertaken missile strikes in Syria and the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, targeting "terrorist" and "spy headquarters", respectively.
With Israel fighting Hamas in Gaza and pro-Palestinian Huthi rebels in Yemen attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Iranian strikes exacerbate already dire circumstances throughout the Middle East.
