Bomber, 2 other terrorists in Iran attack Pakistani nationals

A senior Iranian military commander says a suicide bomber and two other terrorists involved in a recent deadly attack that targeted members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have been identified as Pakistani nationals.

“The suicide bomber and two elements of the terrorist team targeting IRGC forces were Pakistanis,” Commander of the IRGC’s Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said on Tuesday, identifying the bomber as Hafiz Mohammad Ali.

The IRGC personnel were traveling between the cities of Zahedan and Khash, in Sistan-e Baluchestan Province on Wednesday, when their bus was targeted in a suicide car bomb attack. The Pakistan-based so-called Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the bombing, which left 27 martyred and 13 others injured.

Following the incident, Pakpour said, wreckage of the car, which had been used to carry out the attack, was delivered to police for further investigation.

Once the vehicle's registration was identified, members of the Quds Force launched an operation to arrest the terrorists and dismantle their support team, he explained.

Pakpour, who was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony commemorating the martyrs of the terror attack, also said that three other members of the terror team were from Iran’s Sistan-e Baluchestan, two of whom were in detention and the third one was still at large. The IRGC general said the terrorist team was well equipped and had been working on massive attack schemes inside Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi on Tuesday pledged that a harsh response will be delivered to the perpetrators.

EA