2007 Zahedan bombings
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Zahedan bombings occurred from 14-17 February in Zahedan
, Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Iran
. While Jundallah
claimed responsibility, the Iranian government has accused the governments of Pakistan
and the United States
of complicity. The first bombing occurred at 6:30 a.m. on February 14 when a car filled with explosives stopped in front of a bus carrying Revolutionary Guards in Ahmadabad district. The car exploded, killing 18 and injuring 31 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
, Sistan-Baluchestan Province at 6:30 a.m. on 14 February 2007. The car, parked in the middle of the road, forced the bus to stop. The car's driver and passengers then got out of the car and used motorbikes to leave the scene while they shot at the bus. A few seconds later the bombs exploded, killing 18 Guards. A few non Balochi citizens of Zahedan demonstrated in the streets, holding the coffins of the victims of the first bombing, chanting "death to hypocrites." Guards commander Qasem Rezaei said, "This blind terrorist operation led to the martyrdom of 18 citizens of Zahedan." Rezaei attributed the attack to "insurgents and elements of insecurity." Majid Razavi, an Interior Ministry official, said Iranian police arrested a suspect within an hour of the bombing. Five days later, the authorities announced the execution of Nasrollah Shanbezehi. He was hanged in public at the site of the bombing. He was said to have been tried and sentenced by a branch of the Revolutionary Courthttp://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130452001 after his televised “"confession”". In one of the pictures of his executionhttp://www.balochpeople.org/farsi/2007/feb/EdameShanbezhai.htm, where the noose is being placed around his neck, a bruise is clearly visible above his right eye. In his “"confession”", he reportedly said that he had joined PRMI\Jundallah three months previously, solely for financial reward, but other sources say that he was arrested because he was taking a picture of the bus with his mobile phone http://pahreh.blogspot.com/.
Jundallah claimed responsibility for the attack on 15 February. The Iranian government has arrested five suspects, two of whom were carrying camcorders and grenades when they were arrested, while the police killed the main "agent" of the attack. Among the arrestees was Said Qanbarzehi, a Balochi, who was hanged in Zahedan prison on 27 May 2007. He had been sentenced to death at the age of 17 along with six other Balochi men—Javad Naroui, Masoud Nosratzehi, Houshang Shahnavazi, Yahya Sohrabzehi, Ali Reza Brahoui and Abdalbek Kahrazehi (also known as Abdalmalek) -- in March 2007http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130662007, despite the absolute international prohibition on the execution of child offendershttp://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGMDE130592007. Balochi sources suggest that the seven may have been arrested because of their family ties to those suspected of involvement in the February bus bombinghttp://www.radiobalochi.org/. According Sistan-Baluchistan Provincial Television, 15–17 March 2007, Said Qanbarzehi and the six others all “"confessed”" to a number of crimes that allegedly took place in Sistan-Baluchistan province. Some reports suggest that those who “"confessed”" were tortured, including by having bones in their hands and feet broken, by being “"branded”" with a red-hot iron, and by having an electric drill applied to their limbs, shredding their muscleshttp://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130662007.
Hossein Ali Shahriari, Zahedan's representative in parliament, rhetorically asked, "Why does our diplomatic apparatus not seriously confront the Pakistani government for harboring bandits and regime's enemies? Why do security, military and police officials not take more serious action?". Following publication of an interview in ‘Ayyaran newspaper, which has since been closed down on the order of Hojjatoleslam Nekunamhttp://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=7189, on 17 March 2007 he stated that there were 700 people then awaiting execution in Sistan-Baluchistan province, whose sentences had been confirmed by the Supreme Courthttp://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE131042007?open&of=ENG-IRNhttp://www.zrombesh.org/publication/Ms%20Louise%20Arbour-publication.htmhttp://www.radiobalochi.org/BH_Rights/ListehBaziEdamiOkhoshteha_eng.htmlhttp://balochistanpeoplesfront.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.htmlhttp://www.zrombesh.org/publication/Balochistan__Amnesty_International_and_UN_Appeal%5B1%5D.htm.
, the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
, said, "We condemn the car bomb attack on Wednesday in Zahedan. Acts of terrorism can never be justified. The perpetrators must be brought to justice. We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the victims and to the Iranian government." The United Nations Security Council
condemned the bombing through a press statement, saying that nothing justifies terrorism. Peter Burian, Slovakia
's ambassador to the United Nations
and President of the Security Council, said, "They underlined the need to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of this terrorist attack, as with all terrorist attacks." United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
condemned the attack and gave his condolences to the Iranian government and the family's of the victims. The Georgia
n Foreign Ministry also condemned the bombing.
Fars news agency, which is an Iranian state run agency, reported "The insurgents began shooting at people after the explosion. Clashes are continuing between police and the armed insurgents. Police have cordoned off the area."
The Iranian government summoned Pakistani ambassador Shafkat Saeed
. Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, "The Pakistani ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry to give explanations. Discussions were undertaken and a committee was formed between the two countries to reinforce border security. The investigation and the confessions show that foreigners are implicated in these actions.
Zahedan
Zahedan is a city in and the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.-Geography:...
, Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. While Jundallah
Jundallah
Jundallah, or Jondollah , also known as People's Resistance Movement of Iran , is an organization based in Balochistan that claims to be fighting for the rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran. It was founded by Abdolmalek Rigi who was captured and executed in Iran in 2010...
claimed responsibility, the Iranian government has accused the governments of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of complicity. The first bombing occurred at 6:30 a.m. on February 14 when a car filled with explosives stopped in front of a bus carrying Revolutionary Guards in Ahmadabad district. The car exploded, killing 18 and injuring 31 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
First bombing
A car filled with explosives stopped in front of a bus full of Revolutionary Guards in Ahmadabad district, ZahedanZahedan
Zahedan is a city in and the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.-Geography:...
, Sistan-Baluchestan Province at 6:30 a.m. on 14 February 2007. The car, parked in the middle of the road, forced the bus to stop. The car's driver and passengers then got out of the car and used motorbikes to leave the scene while they shot at the bus. A few seconds later the bombs exploded, killing 18 Guards. A few non Balochi citizens of Zahedan demonstrated in the streets, holding the coffins of the victims of the first bombing, chanting "death to hypocrites." Guards commander Qasem Rezaei said, "This blind terrorist operation led to the martyrdom of 18 citizens of Zahedan." Rezaei attributed the attack to "insurgents and elements of insecurity." Majid Razavi, an Interior Ministry official, said Iranian police arrested a suspect within an hour of the bombing. Five days later, the authorities announced the execution of Nasrollah Shanbezehi. He was hanged in public at the site of the bombing. He was said to have been tried and sentenced by a branch of the Revolutionary Courthttp://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130452001 after his televised “"confession”". In one of the pictures of his executionhttp://www.balochpeople.org/farsi/2007/feb/EdameShanbezhai.htm, where the noose is being placed around his neck, a bruise is clearly visible above his right eye. In his “"confession”", he reportedly said that he had joined PRMI\Jundallah three months previously, solely for financial reward, but other sources say that he was arrested because he was taking a picture of the bus with his mobile phone http://pahreh.blogspot.com/.
Jundallah claimed responsibility for the attack on 15 February. The Iranian government has arrested five suspects, two of whom were carrying camcorders and grenades when they were arrested, while the police killed the main "agent" of the attack. Among the arrestees was Said Qanbarzehi, a Balochi, who was hanged in Zahedan prison on 27 May 2007. He had been sentenced to death at the age of 17 along with six other Balochi men—Javad Naroui, Masoud Nosratzehi, Houshang Shahnavazi, Yahya Sohrabzehi, Ali Reza Brahoui and Abdalbek Kahrazehi (also known as Abdalmalek) -- in March 2007http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130662007, despite the absolute international prohibition on the execution of child offendershttp://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGMDE130592007. Balochi sources suggest that the seven may have been arrested because of their family ties to those suspected of involvement in the February bus bombinghttp://www.radiobalochi.org/. According Sistan-Baluchistan Provincial Television, 15–17 March 2007, Said Qanbarzehi and the six others all “"confessed”" to a number of crimes that allegedly took place in Sistan-Baluchistan province. Some reports suggest that those who “"confessed”" were tortured, including by having bones in their hands and feet broken, by being “"branded”" with a red-hot iron, and by having an electric drill applied to their limbs, shredding their muscleshttp://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130662007.
Hossein Ali Shahriari, Zahedan's representative in parliament, rhetorically asked, "Why does our diplomatic apparatus not seriously confront the Pakistani government for harboring bandits and regime's enemies? Why do security, military and police officials not take more serious action?". Following publication of an interview in ‘Ayyaran newspaper, which has since been closed down on the order of Hojjatoleslam Nekunamhttp://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=7189, on 17 March 2007 he stated that there were 700 people then awaiting execution in Sistan-Baluchistan province, whose sentences had been confirmed by the Supreme Courthttp://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE131042007?open&of=ENG-IRNhttp://www.zrombesh.org/publication/Ms%20Louise%20Arbour-publication.htmhttp://www.radiobalochi.org/BH_Rights/ListehBaziEdamiOkhoshteha_eng.htmlhttp://balochistanpeoplesfront.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.htmlhttp://www.zrombesh.org/publication/Balochistan__Amnesty_International_and_UN_Appeal%5B1%5D.htm.
Reaction
Brigadier General Mohammad Jaffari said on 15 February that the government had arrested 68 people in connection with the bombing. The spokesman for Javier SolanaJavier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...
, the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
, said, "We condemn the car bomb attack on Wednesday in Zahedan. Acts of terrorism can never be justified. The perpetrators must be brought to justice. We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the victims and to the Iranian government." The United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
condemned the bombing through a press statement, saying that nothing justifies terrorism. Peter Burian, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
's ambassador to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and President of the Security Council, said, "They underlined the need to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of this terrorist attack, as with all terrorist attacks." United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
condemned the attack and gave his condolences to the Iranian government and the family's of the victims. The Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
n Foreign Ministry also condemned the bombing.
Second bombing
Jundallah militants set off a percussion bomb in a girls school on 17 February shortly after the funeral for those killed in the first bombing. Hasan Ali Nouri, governor of Zahedan, said the bomb was a "sound bomb explosion." It wounded one person. Militants then shot at an electricity plant, successfully cutting off power, before fleeing to a house in Zahedan.Fars news agency, which is an Iranian state run agency, reported "The insurgents began shooting at people after the explosion. Clashes are continuing between police and the armed insurgents. Police have cordoned off the area."
The Iranian government summoned Pakistani ambassador Shafkat Saeed
Shafkat Saeed
Shafkat Saeed is a career diplomat and the current Pakistani Ambassador to France.-Career:Saeed joined the foreign service in 1973 and has served in a number of places including Paris , Bern and Abu Dhabi .-References:...
. Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, "The Pakistani ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry to give explanations. Discussions were undertaken and a committee was formed between the two countries to reinforce border security. The investigation and the confessions show that foreigners are implicated in these actions.