Attack ‘planned inside Pakistan’

IRAN’S parliament speaker said yesterday that an attack that killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard was planned and carried out from inside Pakistan, which he said should answer for it.

Ali Larijani’s remarks came after Iranian officials initially accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of being behind the attack. The Gulf Arab states are deeply suspicious of Tehran and at war with Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistan’s ambassador yesterday to protest over the attack. Pakistan condemned Wednesday’s attack but had not commented on the allegations.

The militant Sunni group Jaish al-Adl, which claimed responsibility, is believed to operate from havens in neighbouring Pakistan.

The head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari, on Saturday accused Pakistan’s security forces of supporting the militants and said Iran expected it to punish them.