Iran Condemns Terrorist Attack in Iraq

Local Editor

Iran on Saturday condemned a deadly attack the day before in neighboring Iraq, in which at least 16 Iranian pilgrims were killed, the official IRNA news agency said.

"Iran condemns this indiscriminate terrorist act, which is contrary to Islamic and human values," it cited foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi as saying.

Iranian television reports said 16 pilgrims from Iran were killed and 45 wounded on Friday when a parked vehicle rigged with explosives detonated in the restive town of Muqdadiyah north of Baghdad.

The blast occurred as the pilgrims' bus passed through the town en route from the Iranian border to the holy city of Najaf.

The blast occurred as the bus, which was part of a convoy, sat at a police checkpoint in Al Maqdadiya, 45 kilometers Northeast of Baquba, the provincial capital.

Members of the Iraqi security forces are also among the fatalities.
"The Iraqi government was responsible for the lives of the Iranian pilgrims," Araqchi said.

Araqchi said that committing such crimes against pilgrims on the day Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was appointed to Prophetic Mission shows that the terrorists in charge of the crime are either the direct hirelings of the Islamic Ummah's enemies or are exercising enemies' plots after being fooled and trapped in their conspiracies.

He emphasized that Iran reserves the right to take to task through legal channels those who sponsor and arm the terrorists, adding that Tehran will definitely follow the issue up in due time.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team