Iran arrests three terror suspects

Published February 19, 2019
Iranian Revolutionary Guards say the arrested “produced, guided and supported” the vehicle used in suicide bombing. — AP/File
Iranian Revolutionary Guards say the arrested “produced, guided and supported” the vehicle used in suicide bombing. — AP/File

TEHRAN: Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had arrested three “terrorists” involved in last week’s deadly suicide bomb attack on security forces in a region near Pakistan.

“Safe houses in (the cities of) Saravan and Khash were identified and eliminated, and the terrorists based in them were arrested,” the force said on its official Sepah news agency.

“Three of the terrorists were arrested and 150 kilograms of explosives and 600 kilograms of explosive materials as well as weapons and ammunition were confiscated,” it said.

The Guards said the three arrested had “produced, guided and supported” the vehicle used in Wednesday’s suicide bombing.

The attack killed 27 members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards travelling on a bus in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, near the border with Pakistan. It was claimed by the jihadist outfit Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice).

Iran has provided Pakis­tani officials with “information on the terrorist group’s hidden and semi-hidden training centres”, army chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri told Tasnim news agency.

In a phone call with Pakis­tani army commanders, Bag­heri asked them to “either confront the groups or allow (Iranian) forces to enter”.

Islamabad launched an operation against the “terrorists” in its Balochistan border province on Sunday, he claimed.

The foreign ministry said Iran “cannot tolerate” Pakistan’s inability to stop cross-border attacks on Iran and said Tehran’s frustration had been communicated to Islamabad.

“We hope the Pakistani government can and wants to prevent such things from happening again,” spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told reporters on Monday.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.