Iran launches missiles over attack on parade

TEHERAN — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said on Monday that it had launched ballistic missiles into eastern Syria, targeting militants whom the force blamed for a recent attack on a military parade in Iran.

The launch was Iran’s second such missile attack on Syria in a little over a year.

Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency said the missiles “killed and wounded” militants in Syria, without elaborating.

The station showed footage of one of its reporters standing by as one of the missiles was launched, identifying the area as being in Iran’s western province of Kermanshah. A state TV-aired graphic suggested the missiles flew over central Iraq near Tikrit before landing near the Boukamal in far southeastern Syria.

The semiofficial Fars news agency identified the six missiles used as Zolfaghar and Qiam variants, which have ranges of 750 kilometers and 800 km, respectively.

Iran also launched drone attacks on the site afterward, state TV reported.

Analyst Hadi Seyed Afghahi, who is close to Iran’s establishment and the Guard, said he believes the missiles were launched in coordination with the Syrian government.

The missile launch further added to confusion over who carried out the assault on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz on Sept 22 that killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 60.

Iran initially blamed Arab separatists for the attack. Arab separatists claimed the attack and offered details about one of the attackers.

Iranian officials said that the United States and its regional allies are responsible for the Ahvaz attack.

The IS group also claimed responsibility for the assault. It released footage of several men that Iran ultimately identified as attackers, though the men shown in the footage had never pledged allegiance to the extremist group.