Pakistani officials say 4 Pakistanis killed by Iranian border guards in remote southwestern region

QUETTA, Pakistan – Iranian border guards opened fire on a vehicle carrying a group of Pakistanis in a remote southwestern area, killing four people and wounding two others, Pakistani officials said Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday near the border village of Mashkel in Balochistan province, local police said. Government official Sahibzada Asfand said it was unclear why Iranian forces opened fire.

Local police said the bodies of the four men had been handed over to their families.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran or the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

Security forces on both sides frequently arrest smugglers and insurgents operating in the region. Pakistan attacked alleged insurgent hideouts in Iran in January, killing at least nine people, in retaliation for a similar attack by Iran.