Iran summons Pakistan ambassador over terrorist attack

Angered by Pakistan’s inaction on terrorists, Iran summoned the country’s ambassador to Tehran, expressing Tehran’s “strong protest” over a recent deadly terrorist attack on Iranian forces.

Pakistani Ambassador Riffat Masood was called in for a diplomatic rebuke over a car bomb attack that targeted members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Sistan-baluchestan Province on Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry’s official website.

A bus carrying IRGC personnel was traveling between the cities of Zahedan and Khash in Sistan-baluchestan on February 13, when it was targeted in a suicide car bomb attack.

The attack killed 27 IRGC members and wounded 13 others, and the Jaish ul-adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the bombing. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that Ambassador Masood had been informed that the Iranian government expected the Pakistani government and military to take “decisive and serious” action against the bases, movements, and entrenchment of terrorist groups along Pakistan’s border with Iran, according to Press TV.

Iranian officials asked Pakistan to “prevent these terror groups from further intensifying insecurity, skepticism, and distrust between the countries,” according to Qassemi.

Iran also urged Pakistan to take swift action to identify and arrest those behind the attack, Qassemi added.

Iranian officials have in the wake of the assault criticized the government in Islamabad for harboring terrorists, who routinely stage attacks against Iran from inside Pakistan and then retreat into Pakistani territory.

On Sunday, President Hassan Rouhani said the Iranian nation would “undoubtedly avenge” the recent violence.

Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani had said Islamabad had to be held accountable for the attack.

“The Pakistani government should be accountable for this act involving the grouplet orchestrating and conducting the operation from their (the Pakistanis’) territory,” Larijani said during a parliamentary session on Sunday.

And IRGC Commander-in-chief Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said on Saturday that Iran would give a “decisive” response to the aggression.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Thursday there are clear links between the terror attack and spy agencies of some countries in the region and beyond, urging Iranian security organizations to seriously pursue the issue.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his country is ready for any kind of cooperation with Iran to probe into the recent terrorist attack.

In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday, Qureshi offered his condolences over the death of a number of Iranian forces, IRNA reported.

He further said a specialized delegation from Islamabad would visit Iran on Sunday for talks on the terror attack.

Pakistan is ready for any cooperation to investigate the tragic incident and jointly fight against terrorist groups, the top diplomat added.

Several attacks have in the past targeted Iranian security forces by Pakistan-based terrorist groups.