TEHRAN — Tehran has marked the third anniversary of the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist attack on Iran’s parliament, saying the attack was carried out as retaliation against success of the Resistance Front under the leadership of Major General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the U.S. military earlier this year.

“3yrs ago today, US-backed ISIS carried out the botched terror attack on Iran Parliament to retaliate the successes of 'Resistance Front' under MG Soleimani’s leadership & sacrifice,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi wrote in a tweet on Sunday.

“2yrs later, the MG as counterterrorism champion was cowardly assassinated by terrorist America. RIP!” he added.

On June 7, 2017, Iran’s parliament and the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Revolution, were targeted by two simultaneous gun and suicide bomb assaults.

The attacks unfolded as a number of gunmen stormed the main gate of the parliament building in central Tehran and opened fire. At the same time, a shooting spree targeted Imam Khomeini’s shrine about 25 kilometers away in south Tehran.

The incident marked one of the most brutal terrorist attacks to hit the Iranian capital Tehran in decades. A third attack was also foiled, according to the Intelligence Ministry.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement afterwards saying two terrorist teams targeted the shrine of Imam Khomeini and the parliament to bring terror and destabilize the country.

“The first terrorist team, comprising of two persons, entered the premises of the Imam Khomeini shrine at 10:30 (local time). One of them exploded himself and the other one was killed in clashes with security forces,” the statement said.

It also said that the second team, comprising of four, simultaneously attacked the office building of the parliament, adding that one of them was killed in a suicide blast and the other three were gunned down during clashes with the security forces.

Daesh (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks. Its media wing, Amaq, claimed “fighters with the Islamic State” carried out the attacks.

MH/PA