On 18 January 2024, Pakistan launched a series of air and artillery strikes inside Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, targeting Baloch separatist groups, codenamed Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar (Urdu: آپریشن مرگ بر سرمچار, lit.

The Iranian strike allegedly targeted the Jaish ul-Adl militant group on 16 January 2024, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuring four people, as reported by Pakistan.

[10] At 04:05 IRST (UTC+03:30), the Pakistani Air Force and Army launched an attack using drones, multiple rocket launchers, loitering munitions, and stand-off weapons at seven separate locations of Baloch separatist groups in the Iranian city of Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan province.

[21] Following the attack, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar cut short his attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and returned home[22] to convene an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on 19 January.

[24] On 19 January Anwaar ul Haq Kakar announced that normal diplomatic relations with Iran had been restored, following a foreign ministry statement that said that there was agreement to de-escalate the conflict.