A day before the dastardly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, the Islamic Republic of Iran also witnessed a terrorist attack when an explosive-laden car blew up beside a vehicle transporting elite Revolutionary Guard soldiers. The attack had left 27 dead and 13 injured, sending the country into a state of mourning.
The attack had happened in the south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan province of the country. That part of the country witnesses several terrorist attacks from Sunni terrorist groups, which Iran accuses of being operated by Pakistan and its regional arch-rival Saudi Arabia. The attack’s responsibility was taken by a terrorist organization called Jaish al Adl or Army of Justice, which has been designated a terrorist organization by many countries.
Jaish is one of the largest and most active Sunni organisation targeting government forces in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Balochistan. It has always been a source of confrontation between Tehran and Islamabad. Its declared agenda is to avenge the alleged wrongs that were done to the Sunni population of the region, who are ethnically Baloch, by Shiite Iranian state post-1979 Islamic revolution. Iran blames Pakistan for acting as the group’s host.
Revolutionary Guards chief Major General Mohammed Ali Jafari has warned Pakistan of serious consequences after the terrorist attack.
“Why do Pakistan’s army and security body … give refuge to these anti-revolutionary groups? Pakistan will no doubt pay a high price,” Jafari said. He also accused the Saudi and the United Arab Emirates regime of supporting Sunni terrorist groups and creating havoc in Iran. Iran being a Shia majority country, is always at loggerheads with the Shia dominated Saudi Arabia. Major General added that UAE and Saudi should know that Iran’s patience has run out, and it will no longer tolerate their “anti-Islam thugs.”
Major General also asked the country’s supreme Hassan Rouhani, to free the hands of its security forces, and to let them take revenge. He was addressing the country live.
Iran had also warned Pakistan in November, last year, after 14 Iranian border guards were abducted by Pakstan based terror organization.
On 16th February, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a surprise visit to Iran on her way to Europe and had a meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
“Iran & India suffered from two heinous terrorist attacks in the past few days resulted in big casualties. Today in my meeting with Sushma Swaraj the Indian FM, when she had a stopover in Tehran, we agreed on close cooperation to combat terrorism in the region. Enough is enough!” Seyed Abbas Araghchi had tweeted, after meeting with MEA Sushma Swaraj.