TEHRAN: A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia religious procession in the Iranian city of Chabahar on Wednesday killing at least 39 people in the latest violence to rock the southeastern border region.
A pathologist cited by the official IRNA news agency said 38 bodies had been brought to the town’s mortuary, among them women and children. A 39th casualty later succumbed to his wounds, the pathologist said.
The bomber struck in a central square where worshippers were taking part in a procession marking the eve of the last day of Ashura, Red Crescent official Mahmoud Mozafar told the ILNA news agency. “An individual walked up to some Red Crescent ambulances and blew himself up,” he said.
The governor of Sistan-Baluchestan province, Ali Mohammad Azad, said, “Two terrorists were killed, one in the explosion and the second by police.”
The prefect of Chabahar, Ali Bateni, said a third terrorist was later arrested.
“There were two terrorists who were spotted before they carried out their attack but one of them managed to detonate his explosive vest,” Bateni told IRNA. “The ringleader of this terrorist action has been arrested.” The attack came on the eve of the final day of Ashura. But unlike most of the rest of the country, Sistan-Baluchestan where Chabahar is situated has a significant Sunni community and has seen persistent unrest in recent years by Sunni militant group Jundallah.
