TEHRAN – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused “Pakistan’s security forces”of supporting the perpetrators of a suicide bombing that killed 27 troopson Wednesday, in remarks state TV aired Saturday.
“Pakistan’s government, who has housed these anti-revolutionaries andthreats to Islam, knows where they are and they are supported by Pakistan’ssecurity forces,” said Revolutionary Commander Major General Mohammad AliJafari, referring to militant group Jaish al-Adl (“Army of Justice”).
“If (the Pakistan government) does not punish them, we will retaliateagainst this anti-revolutionary force, and whatever Pakistan sees will bethe consequence of its support for them,” he warned.The general made the remarks in Isfahan City on Friday evening during afarewell ceremony held for those killed. Funerals are expected to follow onSaturday.
Jaish al-Adl was formed in 2012 as a successor to the extremist groupJundallah (“Soldiers of God”), which waged a deadly insurgency for a decadebefore it was severely weakened by the capture and execution of its leaderAbdolmalek Rigi by Tehran in 2010.
The Wednesday bombing targeted a busload of Revolutionary Guards in thevolatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which straddles theborder with Pakistan.
The attack was one of the deadliest on Iranian security forces in recentyears and came just days after Iran held more than a week of celebrationsfor the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew theUS-backed shah.
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The commander also blasted “the support that the region’s reactionarystates Saudi Arabia and the Emiratis” maintain for “conspiracies” that hesaid were ordered by Israel and America.
“We will certainly follow retaliatory measures,” he added, withoutelaborating.
Jafari’s comments came ahead of a two-day visit by Saudi Arabia’s CrownPrince Mohammed bin Salman to Pakistan, which is set to begin on Sunday.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has linked the perpetrators ofthe attack to “the spying agencies of some regional and trans-regionalcountries”. – AFP
