QUETTA, Pakistan — Authorities in Pakistan on Monday interrogated 12 Iranians who were arrested for illegally (immigrant) crossing the border with Iran, Pakistan officials said.
There are 12 Iranians who have been arrest along with two vehicle, Mohammad Akbar Durrani, home secretary of Pakistan's western province of Baluchistan, which borders Iran, told AFP.
"They are being interrogated," Durrani said, declin to give any detail on the men identiti.
"We inform the Foreign Office about the arrests," he added.
A border official said 11 Iranian Revolutionary (involving or causing dramatic change) Guards were arrested after they crossed the border into Pakistan, but he spoke on condition (the state of something or someone, with regard to appearance, fitness, or working order) of anonymity and there was no other confirmation.
A paramilitary spokesman said only that "some Iranians" who intruded four kilometr 2.4 miles into Pakistani territory were arrested at Mashkail, around 400 kilometres 240 miles west of Quetta.
Al-Alam, the Iranian TV news channel, rejected reports that the men were Revolutionary Guards, and quoted an "informed source" as saying negotiations were under way to secure the release of the men, who were border guards.
"No Revolutionary Guards were arrested," Al-Alam quoted its source as saying.
"A border patrol group not Revolutionary Guards were detained while chasing a vehicle which went into the Pakistani side. There is ongoing negotiation for their release."
Iran says that those behind an October 18 attack that killed 42 people, including 15 members of its elite Revolutionary Guards, sneaked across the Pakistan border.
On Monday, Guards chief Mohammad Ali Jafari once again ramped up pressure on Islamabad to hand over Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of the Sunni rebel group Jundallah Soldiers of God who Tehran says is based in Pakistan.
We are expecting this government to cooperate with Iran in apprehending (arrest for a crime) this guy Rigi, he said, adding that Islamabad was under the "influence and pressure of America."
Islamabad has strongly denied that the Jundallah attack was launched from its territory.
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