QUETTA: The Iranian border force fired six mortar shells at Pakistan's bordering town of Mashkail in the early hours of Friday, a security official told Dawn.

The official who requested anonymity said that there was no loss of life in the incident and that the mortar shells landed near Mashkail.

He said the Frontier Corps (FC) swiftly retaliated and fired mortar shells in response, bringing the firing from the Iranian side to an end.

"Mortar shells fired by Iranian border personnel landed 3000 metres inside Pakistani territory,” he said.

Also read: Tensions on Pak-Iran border

The official stated that panic prevailed in the area owing to loud explosions that rocked the Pakistani town.

More troops were called to Mashkail and surrounding areas to effectively man the border.

Today’s incident comes a week after Iranian border guards attacked and killed an FC soldier and injured another three in Pakistan's Mand area.

Similarly, 30 Iranian border guards stormed inside Pakistani territory and took the residents of Nokundai, another Pakistani border town, hostage.

Recent incidents prompted the two countries to hold a joint meeting in Tehran with Inspector General Frontier Corps Major General Ejaz Shahid and Iranian guards Chief General Qasim Razai agreeing to boost intelligence cooperation with respect to the porous border.