‘Martyrdom seekers’

Published May 26, 2006

TEHRAN, May 25: A hardline Iranian group announced on Thursday the creation of a new ‘battalion’ of ‘martyrdom seekers’ — or suicide attackers — ready to carry out operations against targets including Israel and author Salman Rushdie.

The group, called the Committee for the Glorification of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement, made the announcement at Tehran’s main cemetery where hundreds of supporters had gathered.

“Every six months we sign up volunteers. Now we have 55,000 of them. Then we choose the volunteers and divide them up into battalions,” spokesman Mohammad Mohammadi said.—AFP

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