Iran blames West, Israel
TEHRAN:
Iran blamed the West and Israel on Saturday for the twin suicide bombings which killed at least 27 people, despite condemnation of the attack by the European Union, United Nations and the United States.
Iranian police, meanwhile, arrested 40 people for “creating disturbances” in the southeastern city of Zahedan where the bombers struck on Thursday, the Mehr news agency reported.
“This blind terrorist act was carried out by the mercenaries of the world arrogance (the Western powers),” state television’s website quoted Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi as saying.
“The agents of this crime were trained and equipped beyond our borders and then came into Iran,” Abdollahi said.
Sunni militant group Jundallah has said it carried out the bombings which targeted members of the elite Revolutionary Guards at a Shiite mosque in Zahedan, capital of the restive province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
It said the attacks were to avenge the execution of their leader Abdolmalek Rigi on June 20.
Parliament speaker Ali Larijani directly accused the United States for the bombings. “Today, the country is mourning the tragic explosion in Zahedan which was carried out with the backing of Americans. Americans can’t come up with any excuse since they are connected with the Rigi group,” he said.
Crowds of mourners gathered in Zahedan on Saturday for a mass funeral for the victims of the bombings. They assembled outside the city’s Jamia mosque where the bombers struck for a procession to the main cemetery.
“Those who committed these terrorist acts are neither Shiite nor Sunni,” read one banner carried by the mourners, while crowds chanted: “Death to terrorists,” the official Irna news agency reported.
Tehran has long charged that Washington has provided support to the Rigi group as part of efforts to destabilise the Islamic regime by fomenting unrest among ethnic minorities in sensitive border areas.
But US President Barack Obama has condemned the “outrageous terrorist attacks,” while UN chief Ban Ki-moon blasted a “senseless act of terrorism” and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton condemned “these cowardly terrorist attacks”.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2010.
Iran blamed the West and Israel on Saturday for the twin suicide bombings which killed at least 27 people, despite condemnation of the attack by the European Union, United Nations and the United States.
Iranian police, meanwhile, arrested 40 people for “creating disturbances” in the southeastern city of Zahedan where the bombers struck on Thursday, the Mehr news agency reported.
“This blind terrorist act was carried out by the mercenaries of the world arrogance (the Western powers),” state television’s website quoted Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi as saying.
“The agents of this crime were trained and equipped beyond our borders and then came into Iran,” Abdollahi said.
Sunni militant group Jundallah has said it carried out the bombings which targeted members of the elite Revolutionary Guards at a Shiite mosque in Zahedan, capital of the restive province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
It said the attacks were to avenge the execution of their leader Abdolmalek Rigi on June 20.
Parliament speaker Ali Larijani directly accused the United States for the bombings. “Today, the country is mourning the tragic explosion in Zahedan which was carried out with the backing of Americans. Americans can’t come up with any excuse since they are connected with the Rigi group,” he said.
Crowds of mourners gathered in Zahedan on Saturday for a mass funeral for the victims of the bombings. They assembled outside the city’s Jamia mosque where the bombers struck for a procession to the main cemetery.
“Those who committed these terrorist acts are neither Shiite nor Sunni,” read one banner carried by the mourners, while crowds chanted: “Death to terrorists,” the official Irna news agency reported.
Tehran has long charged that Washington has provided support to the Rigi group as part of efforts to destabilise the Islamic regime by fomenting unrest among ethnic minorities in sensitive border areas.
But US President Barack Obama has condemned the “outrageous terrorist attacks,” while UN chief Ban Ki-moon blasted a “senseless act of terrorism” and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton condemned “these cowardly terrorist attacks”.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2010.