29 dead in Iran, Jundallah claims responsibility
At least 29 people were killed in two bombings in southeastern Iran, including Gen. Noor Ali Shooshtari, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and several other IRGC officers.
The officers were in Pisheen, a city in Sistan-Baluchistan province, to meet with tribal leaders. Sistan-Baluchistan sits along the Pakistani border; it is the poorest province in Iran, and one plagued by ethnic and religious tensions, since the local population is largely Baluchi and Sunni.
The first attack was reportedly carried out in a mosque by a suicide bomber wearing a military uniform; the second was a suicide car bombing which targeted a vehicle carrying IRGC officers.
The commanders were in Sistan-Baluchistan for a Sunni-Shi'ite unity conference.
Jundallah, a Sunni militant group, has claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to Iran's state-run Press TV.
Jundallah has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in the area, including a mosque bombing that killed more than a dozen people in Zahedan in May. The IRGC took over security in Sistan-Baluchistan after those attacks, according to The Guardian.
Iranian leaders have long accused the group of having links to the CIA. Sure enough, shortly after the bombings, the IRGC placed blamed on "the global arrogance" -- shorthand for the United States.
"The global arrogance, with the provocation of its local mercenaries, targeted the meeting of the Guard with local tribal leaders," said a statement by the Guards that was broadcast on state television, according to The Associated Press.
Jundallah operates out of Pakistan's Balochistan province, so it's likely that today's bombing will create some friction between Iran and Pakistan.
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Categories: Iran, Pakistan, Regional News, War and Terrorism
Tags: Balochistan, CIA, Gen. Noor Ali Shooshtari, Jundallah, Revolutionary Guards
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