India, Iran agree to join forces against terrorism

TEHRAN/JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH: India and Iran, after suffering two “heinous” terrorist attacks in the past few days, have agreed on close cooperation to combat terrorism in the region as external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj met the country’s deputy foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi here.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has accused Pakistan’s security forces of supporting the perpetrators of a suicide bombing in the country on Wednesday, which killed 27 troops. India, too, has accused Pakistan-based Jaish-eMohammad for the Pulwama terror attack on Thursday.

Swaraj met Araghchi during a brief stopover in Tehran on her way to Bulgaria and discussed bilateral issues on Saturday.

“Iran and India suffered from two heinous terrorist attacks in the past few days resulted in big casualties. Today in my meeting with Sushma Swaraj the Indian FM, when she had a stopover in Tehran, we agreed on close cooperation to combat terrorism in the region. Enough is enough!” Araghchi said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Israel and Palestine, too, have condemned the Pulwama attack.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in his messages to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Palestinians were “saddened by the tragic attack...”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, too, expressed condolence, saying, “To my dear friend, Prime Minister of India @narendramodi, we stand with you, the security forces and the people of India following this heinous terrorist attack.”