RAHANA- Reports indicate these explosions took place in Zahedan Grand Mosque in Azadi St. The first explosion occured at 21:20 local time in front of the Mosque’s main entrance, with the second explosion happening shortly after at 21:20 inside the Mosque.

Initial reports indicate that at least 20 people were killed and 100 injured in the attacks, although eye witnesses reported the number of killed citizens around 30. Moreover, the reporter of semi-official Fars News agency estimated around 150 people were killed and expected this number would rise due to the ceremony held at that time inside the Mosque.

Fars also quotes Zahedan’s MP’ Hosseinali Shahriari as saying: “Three or four people were martyred during the first explosion which took place in front of the Mosque’s main entrance, and as soon as the crowd arrived to help, the second individual made the suicide attack leading to the second explosion.”

Stating the number of killed people was not clear at the time, he also announced: “Unfortunately, it seems the number of losses equals that of Ali-ebn-Abi Taleb Mosque explosion.” He further claimed that “Rigi terrorist group is responsible for this terrorist attack.”

However, Press TV has reported that “Mr. Shahriari has tendered his resignation after this terrorist attack. In the resignation letter addressed to Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Hossein-Ali Shahriari said he was resigning for the inability of authorities to maintain security in his constituency.”

In the first statements made early after the explosions, the Deputy Minsitry of Interior announced no group or individual had announced resposibpilyt for these explosions, and emphasized: “In he first suicide explosion occured behind the inspection site, a number of IRGC officers were killed and injured.”

However, Jundollah group released a statement within minutes after these remarks, saying they were responsible for the two explosions.

In an earlier explosion set in Ali-ebn-Abi Taleb mosque in Zahedan last year, at least 24 people were killed and 80 were injured.

The recent explosions took place a few weeks after Iran exucted Abdolmalek Rigi, head of the Jundollah, while Iran’s security and intelligence officials claimed the area was calm and several regime’s dissidents had requested letters to be safe.However, it seems the statements of security officials were means to be propaganda and wrong policies practiced by the Islamic Republic in Sistan and Baluchistan causes civilians to be killed.

share this on social networks: