Pakistan rejects reports of supplying ballistic missiles to Iran

ISLAMABAD: Security sources on Sunday strongly rejected as baseless and frivolous the news reports alleging that Pakistan has provided non-nuclear ballistic missiles to Iran.

The reports were described as part of a propaganda campaign orchestrated by Indian media and its affiliated foreign outlets, the sources added.

The development came after a statement started circulating on social media regarding Pakistan's involvement in the Israel-Iran standoff, which was shared with images of the Iranian and Pakistani flags.

Diplomatic sources termed the statement 'fake' and said it falsely attributed a claim to Pakistan about delivering a "nuclear response" against Israel in support of Iran.

They also clarified that the assertion regarding Pakistan’s military joining the war alongside Iran was entirely baseless.

Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, as the US president said the conflict could be easily ended while warning Tehran not to strike any US targets.

Israeli rescue teams combed through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed in strikes, using flashlights and sniffer dogs to look for survivors after at least seven people were killed, including children, authorities said.

Tehran has called off nuclear talks that Washington had said were the only way to halt Israel's bombing, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks by Israel so far were nothing compared with what Iran would see in the coming days.

According to the Iranian media, the death toll from Israeli attacks on Friday and Saturday was at least 128, including women and children, reporting hundreds more wounded.

At least "128 people were martyred in these military attacks, and around 900 injured individuals were admitted to" hospitals, said Etemad daily, citing the health ministry.

The report said the deaths include at least "40 women", adding that the "number of martyred children is significant".