Iran's Revolutionary Guards Accuses Pakistani of Suicide Attack on Its Troops

On 13 February, a car loaded with explosives rammed into a bus carrying the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) servicemen half-way between the cities of Zahedan and Khash, with the subsequent explosion leaving 27 dead and 13 wounded.

The suicide bomber who carried out last week's attack targeting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was a citizen of Pakistan, an IRGC  commander said on Tuesday.

According to Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, the bomber has been identified as Hafiz Mohammad Ali. He added that there was a second Pakistani national involved in the crime. 

READ MORE: Iran Warns S Arabia, UAE of Retaliation, Calls Out Pakistan Over Terror Attack

Previously, IRGC chief Mohammad Ali Jafari blamed Pakistan for its alleged backing of jihadists who wage terror in his country, calling on Islamabad to tighten its policy towards the al-Qaeda-linked Sunni Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group, which claimed responsibility for the bombing. Besides, Iran accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of "hidden support" for terrorists and warned that actions like this could provoke Tehran's retaliation.

Pakistan, for its part, condemned the suicide attack and noted that it was cooperating in the probe. 

This follows the 13 February attack, which involved a car loaded with explosives ramming into a bus carrying the IRGC servicemen. The explosion that followed the attack resulted in 27 deaths and 13 other casualties. After the incident, on 16 February, dozens of comrades of the fallen circled caskets on the back of trucks as thousands of mourners attended a mass funeral for the soldiers.