Attack on Revolutionary Guards: Iranian general warns Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Iran urged Pakistan on Saturday to crack down on militants who killed 27 of its Revolutionary Guards in an attack near the border or expect military action by Tehran "to punish the terrorists." The Saudi based English daily The Arab News reported this by referring statement of Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) known as Pasdaran commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari. Mohammad Ali Jafari said, "If Pakistan does not carry out its responsibilities, Iran reserves the right to confront threats on its borders based on international law and will retaliate to punish the terrorists."

A suicide car bomber killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday in a southeastern region where security forces are facing rise in attacks by militants.

The group Jaishal Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility for the attack. Iran's authorities say militant groups operate from safe havens in Pakistan and have repeatedly called on the neighbouring country to crack down on them.

The diplomatic sources told The News that Pakistan had throughout been denying presence of any safe haven of any terror group on its soil. Interestingly Jaishal Adl is an outlawed outfit in Pakistan since the government had placed ban on all jaish. The sources reminded that Pakistan wouldn’t ignore the observations of Iranian commander as Islamabad in accordance with its policy will address Iranian grievances. An action would be taken in a couple of days, the sources added.

A high power delegation could be consigned later next week to pacify Iran and explain Pakistan’s position. Meanwhile, international media reported from Dubai that Iran warned neighboring Pakistan that it would “pay a heavy price” for allegedly harbouring militants who killed 27 of its elite Revolutionary Guards in a suicide bombing near the border earlier this week, state television reported. Revolutionary Guards chief Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari also accused Tehran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting militant groups that attacked Iranian forces, saying they could face “reprisal operations.” Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE deny backing such militants. “Why do Pakistan’s army and security body ... give refuge to these anti-revolutionary groups? Pakistan will no doubt pay a high price,” Jafari said in remarks live on state television. Jafari was addressing a large crowd gathered for the funeral of the victims of Wednesday’s suicide bombing, which took place in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the neigbouring country.

“Just in the past year, six or seven suicide attacks were neutralised but they were able to carry out this one,” Jafari told the mourners, who packed a square in the central city of Isfahan and roads leading to it.

“The Saudi and UAE governments should know that Iran’s patience has ended and we will no longer stand your secret support for these anti-Islam criminals,” Jafari said. “We will avenge the blood of our martyrs from the Saudi and UAE governments and ask the President (Hassan Rouhani) to leave our hands free more than ever for reprisal operations,” Jafari told the crowd, drawing chants of “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). Iran’s authorities say militant groups operate from safe havens in Pakistan and have repeatedly called on the neighboring country to crack down on them. Jafari’s remarks came amid heightening regional tensions after Israel and the Gulf Arab states attended a summit in the Polish capital Warsaw this week where the United States hoped to ratchet up pressure against Iran. The Time of Israel has reported from Ispahan that the head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard threatened to retaliate against neighboring Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates over a suicide car bombing this week that killed 27 members of the elite organization. “We definitely will retaliate,” Jafari said in comments reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency Saturday. Wednesday’s attack was claimed by Baluch separatists. The dead included officers and young soldiers, including a 20-year-old in the Isfahan-based Guard’s forces. The assault killed members of the Guard’s Imam Hussein division, which played a significant role in various battles during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war. The bomb struck a bus traveling on a road between the cities of Khash and Zahedan, a mountainous region along the Pakistani border that is also near Afghanistan.