Gunmen have attacked Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election campaign centre in the southeastern city of Zahedan a day after a deadly mosque bombing in the city was blamed on Washington.
State-run IRNA news agency say gunmen on motorbikes opened fire at the centre on Friday, wounding three people including a child who needed surgery for stomach wounds.
The early evening attack came a day after a suicide bomber killed 25 people and wounded 125 others in an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Zahedan, restive capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sistan-Baluchestan deputy governor Jalal Sayah told the semi-official Fars news agency the bombers of the Shi'ite Amir al-Momenin mosque were "hired by America and the agents of the arrogance" - a reference to Washington.
State-run IRNA news agency say gunmen on motorbikes opened fire at the centre on Friday, wounding three people including a child who needed surgery for stomach wounds.
The early evening attack came a day after a suicide bomber killed 25 people and wounded 125 others in an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Zahedan, restive capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sistan-Baluchestan deputy governor Jalal Sayah told the semi-official Fars news agency the bombers of the Shi'ite Amir al-Momenin mosque were "hired by America and the agents of the arrogance" - a reference to Washington.
The mosque and election office attacks were reminiscent of violence that preceded Iran's last presidential election in 2005 which Ahmadinejad won, when at least eight people were killed in bombs that hit Teheran and the southwestern city of Ahvaz.
I am interested in who allowed these attacks to happen. I find it so annoying, I cant put it any other way, that they (Iranian Government) blames Washington. But this is politics, & uniting the country behind a foreign threat is always a very strong political tactic.
These attacks occurred in a Province bordering Pakistan + Afgan...n so I believe these attackers were the result of lax border security + Sunni Militants(looking for a Shite target) spilling over from either Pak/Afg..n. But I cant understand why they would do it?
At the end of the day though its a political win for Iranian Government, why becasue of the 'Foreign Enemy' tactic that will probably win them the election.
To blame it on America is absurd, CIA would know that an attack in Iran is not a 'win' for American interests because it unites the people with the government, it would be absurd that if the CIA knew about it that they would even turn a blind eye to these militants moving over the Afgan border, let alone in some indirect way sponsor/approve of such an action so close to the election. Look at how Indians were united after the Mumbai attacks, how the present government got reelected.
I do hope the Iranian people dont swallow the Washington excuse. What do you think, will these attacks influence the election?
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