A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shiite religious procession in the city of Chabahar in Iranian Baluchistan on Wednesday killing at least 39 people.
The attack occurred during one of the holiest periods in Shia calendar. Today is Tasua and Thursday is Ashura, two days that Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed some 1350 years ago in a war with infidels in Karbala. Religious processions are held every year during these two days throughout Iran.
Jundallah has accepted responsibility for the suicide attack. The rebel group is very active in Baluchistan, a predominantly Sunni region in Shia Iran. The group has been involved in many terrorist attacks in the region. Last year, the Iranian government kidnapped and later executed their leader.
14 comments:
For those who have not been to this province and its cities, it's a powder keg. And it is like this (and hence fertile ground for terrorist groups like Jundallah) for three reasons: 1) fanning of the Sunni Shi'a flames by none other than the local Shi'a minority religious groups and mosques, 2) restrictions on the local Sunni majority, including harassment of their religious leaders and even arrests, and non-inclusion in the political governing process and 3) extremely poor economic development.
These can all be addressed, very easily, by the central government. It's not rocket science. The money is there for economic development; however, sadly, the brains to address issues (1) and (2) seems to be in short supply in the presidential palace in Tehran.
Here is an example of the lack of brains, in our brainiest politician: Mr. Larijani blaming US and Israel for the bombing:
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8909240353
In addition to (please note: not in place of) rebuilding Lebanon after the Israeli attack, we should rebuild Sistan and Baluchistan. No amount of commando raids, barbed wire, and fancy arrests via fighter jets will bring Jundullah to its knees. We should address the root causes of resentments.
Even the so-called wikileaks show a direct pattern of US/Zionist and UK involvement in both Kurdistan (PJAK) and Sistan/Baluchistan (MEK/Jundollah) and their anti-Iran destabilization agenda.
Most of the Wahabbi terror is now funded by the corrupt house of Saud, the terrorists are trained by US/Zionists at least a dozen camps in Pakistani occupied Baluchistan and then infiltrated into Iran from Taftan/Chaman area.
The only possible option for Iran is to completely seal the border like Morrocco has done against the POLISARIO in western Sahara. Iranian border with the failed terrorist Pakistani state is barely 700 kms and mostly desert and dried river beds with low barren hills. It should be easy to seal with electrified fence, two-tiered minefields, sensors and inter-locking fortifications backed up by robust helicopter/airforce and artillery support.
As has been pointed out by many on this blog and others, Pakistan constitutes the greatest threat to Iranian national security with its US owned corrupt military, failed institutions and 200 million hungry and illiterate starving people. BTW, India has been able to stop the infiltration of Pakistani terrorists by building a total penertration free fence in Kashmir and Punjab which is more difficult terrain. Iran needs to get serious and make the cost high for these terrorists and their backers in both Af-Pak. Sitting passively only invites further aggression.
Iran needs to wake up to this clear and present danger and deploy large number of troops, totally seal the border and STOP even a single vehicle or train from Pakistan to get through. Iran needs to make the economic and political cost high and also address the economc development and integration issues of the Sunni Baloch population that are susceptible to Saudi/US and Pakistani manipulation. The US has a history of funding these terror groups from its anti-Soviet days in the 80's. Now they have turned these miserable dogs on Iran. However, it is a two edged sword as the war in Afghanistan is clearly showing.
Whenever the US manages to "seal" the Mexican border, Iran will manage to "seal" the Pak border.
Technological military solutions are the realm of armchair warriors. Real men do economic development and nurtruing of tolerance, civil society, and religious harmony.
It is pathetic that these "jundollah" cowards and Wahabbi terrorists kill innocents. Most of the victims were women and children who had gone to see the Ashura processions.
Al Arabiya television said the militant Sunni group Jundallah had claimed responsibility.
A local official, Mahmoud Mozafar, told the ILNA news agency that the blast yesterday took place outside the Imam Hossein mosque in Farmandari Square, among worshippers taking part in a procession.
''An individual walked up to some Red Crescent ambulances and blew himself up,'' he said. He put the death toll at 36, with 50 wounded.
IRNA quoted a pathologist as saying 38 bodies had been brought to the mortuary, mostly women and children.
The attack came on the eve of the final day of Ashura, one of the high points of the Shia calendar when large crowds gather in mosques across Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, India and in the wider Shia diaspora encompassing over 300 million people.
Unlike most of Iran, Sistan-Baluchestan province, where Chabahar is situated, has a significant Sunni population, and over the past decade Jundallah, or Soldiers of God, based in Pakistan and funded by Saudi Arabia with backing from US and Israel has claimed many deadly attacks on Iranian security forces as well as assaults that have led to mostly civilian deaths.
Iranian security forces have successfully hunted down and killed most of the Jundollah leadership, including the Rigi brothers.
There is a clear pattern to this destabilisation of Sistan-Baluchistan. The over-riding aim of these terrible acts of violence is to create an international split in the Islamic world along Sunni-shia lines. It is only once this clear split has been established will we find the arrogant powers moving in to destroy the Islamic world. this was done to Christianity when it was broken into all its various denominations. Even Judaism is now so involved in deciding who is a real Jew that they are constantly missing siiting on the pot.
Once muslim are so involved with their own interneccine conflicts will we find the hegemonic powers moving in to steal not only our natural sources but our very beings from us. Soon, like Christianity and Judaism, will we be left with only an empty outer shell. In order to achieve this though, they need to destroy the strong attachment of Shi'i muslims to the Ahlul Bayt. For this purpose they have identified our gatherings as the prime target. In their minds, targeting the processions, the masajid and other gathering will instill fear into the hearts of the populace and stop attendance. Thus a slow death of belief.
The fact that clear evidence exists of American and therefore Israeli, involvement in the logistical, financial and military support of this terrist organisation make them culpubable in the deaths of innocents. It therefore stand to reason that they should not cry foul if iran should retaliate. The americans themselves has set a precedent for this in their drone attacks in Af-Pak and Iraq.
@ Anon December 15, 2010 2:01 PM
You have summed it up quite well and realistically. The US/Zionist policies are based on the British divide and rule of the "great game". The US not so intelligent agencies have recruited and so-opted large numbers of uneducated Wahabbi freaks from Saudi Arabia and Pakistani Madrassas to sow havoc in Iran, Iraq and against Pakistani Shias themselves with daily "targeted killings" of Shia intellectuals, doctors and professionals. Recently there has been a spate of attacks in FATA (tribal areas) of Pakistan against the Pashtun Shias, particularly in Mohmand, Orakzai and Bannu/Kohat areas. In most cases US/ISI(Pak-military) funded Wahabbi groups have been responsible.
Their convoluted idea is to pit Muslims against Muslims and destroy Islam from within as you correctly point out. I believe they are sadly mistaken as Shiasm is the very core of Iranian and Persian identity. The more they try to pressure Iran the stronger the religious revival. Even their puppet stooge Vali Nasr who is "advising" the Obama administration on internecine destabilizatiion alludes to this in his diatribe "Shia Revival" that Islamic identity is very much entrenched into the Iranian national psyche. One should also not forget that there are over 75 million or roughly 25% Shia population in Pakistan, 75% in Bahrain, 10% in even Hejaz-Asir (Saudi Arabia) and so on. The US is making a fatal mistake worse than funding the Wahabbi terror groups including alCIAda if they think Iranians or Shia's will bow to their murdereous campaign. The blowback will mostly come from Pakistan and the region if this insanity continues.
History has shown that Iranians are slow to anger, but when their existence is threatened, they tend to unite and get their act together. This undeclared war against Iran and its citizens will not remain one-sided for long.
You guys seems to have your heads buried in the sand, and imply that the Sunnis are all to blame, with US and Israeli support and Saudi money. What are we Shi'a doing to the Sunni in Iraq? Ever look at that situation? Have we been vanguards of harmony and reconciliation there? Why look at Iraq. Let's just look at Tehran. Why is there not a single Sunni mosque in the Iranian capital?
The Iranian government is great in paying lip service to Sunni Shi'a unity. What are some concrete actions they've taken to foster this unity?
why iran government donot strike directly in the heart of usa and israel as they know for fact usa and israel invold of such a crime to suvived for one more days in afghanistan and pakistan as every one now that for fact this crime involved by them directly and shamefully condem the crime by themself they creat such a dirty move and act as humman right violation what are this dirty political action from them so time is not always in them favour every day the battel of war will change from one hand to others as the commander of iran bassige said few days a go usa commander will be pay for all the damaged down to us.
The danger is rushing to sum up problems facing Baluchistan as only security and foreign related, as consecutive Iranian governments have done, is to ignore the long-term issues of chronic underdevelopment, poverty and lack of hope for Baluchi youths. Every time a terrorist action like this latest one results in innocent deaths, we rightly so call for heightening security measures, and every now and then the government pays lip service to development issues in Baluchistan, but they forget both as soon; no improvement in security situation and no program of economic development and creation of jobs for the youths.
Pointing out that the foreigners must have been behind this and similar attacks is looking at symptoms not the cause. There must be a reason why Iran faces foreign-supported insurgency in dominantly Sunni regions of Baluchistan and Kurdistan. The government has ignored development of these regions and has failed to convince the youths that they have a future in Shia Iran. Until the government does this, they will create fertile ground for the insurgents and their supporters to recruit disgruntle and unemployed youths. Massive development projects in both regions, starting now and not 30 years from now, along with heightened security measures are the answers.
I think that is time for us to cut our support of Hizbullah by 50%, this will save us much money and we can defend our own borders better. The zionists will fly over and around Hizbullah anyway when they come to bomb our nuclear facilities.
I dont think we should waste much time and effort on Jundallah, the losses they cause are minor.
We have killed many many many more in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon so we should consider the small losses caused by the Jundallah thugs to be acceptable. We are winning this battle.
a very disgusting act from Saudi Arabia
Saddams fate was of no lesson to them.
A decade or two and they (saudi Royal famnily ) shall follow.
Illuminati
Jobless, poorness, Sunni-Shia are only excuse
You can not make job for violent people.you can not change the mind of people,
you can only oppress and kill them.
They are Iranian but paki style.
every day we have a suicide attack in Pakistan, every 3-6 months im Iran.
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