Iran follows up on condition of injured nationals in Samarra: Qassemi

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says the Islamic Republic is seriously following up on the condition of Iranians injured in a terrorist attack in the Iraqi city of Samarra, which martyred at least seven people, including five Iranians.

“The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s embassy in Baghdad are seriously committed to addressing the health condition of those wounded in the terrorist attack in Samarra,” Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday.

He denounced the attack by criminal terrorists on innocent Iranian pilgrims in the holy city of Samarra and expressed sympathy with the victims’ families as well as the injured.

Qassemi added that the Iranians who were martyred and wounded in the attacks were from the provinces of Isfahan, Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan.

The Iranian spokesperson noted that those who were in critical condition have been transferred to hospitals in Kadhimiyah, a northern neighborhood of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The attack in Samarra, which is home to the holy shrines of Imam Ali al-Hadi (PBUH) and Imam Hassan al-Askari (PBUH), the tenth and eleventh Muslims' imams, respectively, took place when a vehicle exploded in a car park for pilgrims, martyring at least seven people.

Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said in a statement on Sunday that at least five Iranian pilgrims were martyred and some 97 others injured in the terrorist attack.

At least 13 people were also killed after a terrorist detonated an explosives-laden ambulance at a checkpoint in Tikrit on Sunday. The attacker drove the ambulance into a line of vehicles queuing at a checkpoint at the southern entrance to the city.

The Daesh terrorist group has claimed responsibility for both attacks.

The new wave of terror attacks comes amid a surge in terror activities by Daesh, which has been taking severe blows from Iraqi forces in the areas under its control.

The Iraqi army and allied forces have launched an ultimate push to retake the northern city of Mosul, the last stronghold of the Takfiri Daesh terror group.

MG