TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has denounced a bloody terrorist attack on members of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), saying the spy agencies of certain regional and trans-regional countries certainly had a hand in the crime.

In a message on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei offered his condolences to the bereaved families of the IRGC forces who lost their lives in Wednesday’s terrorist attack, which took place in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, Press TV reported.

A car laden with explosives hit a bus carrying members of the IRGC on Wednesday, killing 27 border guards and injuring 13 others.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, quoting the Quds Base of the IRGC Ground Force, the suicide attack against the IRGC took place on a highway near the city of Zahedan, which is located close to the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In his message, the Leader called on the IRGC and relevant government institutions to swiftly and seriously follow up on the incident and deal with the perpetrators.

The incident was also widely condemned both in Iran and abroad.

According to Mehr, IRGC Chief Mohammad Ali Jafari said the IRGC will take vengeance on the enemies for the attack.

He said the attack was the enemies’ reaction to the huge turnout of the Iranian nation in recent rallies marking the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi made similar remarks, and voiced his condolences to the families of the victims.

Iran’s intelligence forces will “wreak revenge on the planners, perpetrators and sponsors of this heinous crime,” Alavi said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested that it was no coincidence that terrorists attacked the IRGC on the same day that an anti-Iran summit organized by the United States kicked off in Warsaw, Poland. 

“Is it no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that #WarsawCircus begins? Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? U.S. seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results,” he tweeted on Wednesday.

The IRGC Ground Force Commander Mohammad Pakpour said the perpetrators of the attack should await a “harsh punishment”.

He said the Takfiri terrorists committed the “cowardly crime” under orders from their masters. “I ask for God’s mercy and blessings for the martyrs’ souls and patience for their families,” Pakpour added.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the incident was yet another proof that Iran is a victim of terrorism. 

“The supporters and masters are now sitting in Warsaw conf, aimed at so called combating terrorism in the ME!” he tweeted on Wednesday.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah also strongly condemned the deadly attack, saying it portrayed the true image of the organized terrorism led by the U.S. government, which encourages other countries to follow suit.

The United Nations Security Council denounced “in the strongest terms” the “heinous and cowardly” terrorist attack.

Council members expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the government and families of the 27 victims on Thursday and wished a “speedy and full recovery” to the 13 injured.

 MH/