Tehran terrorists fought for IS in Syria, Iraq: Ministry

TEHRAN, Iran (Kurdistan24) – The five men involved in the terrorist attacks in Tehran on Wednesday are believed to have fought and trained with the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, Iran state TV reported.

According to reports, Iran’s intelligence ministry on Thursday announced the attackers were Iranian but had traveled to the insurgents’ strongholds in Syria and Iraq.

“They earlier left Iran and were involved in the crimes of the terrorist group in Raqqa and Mosul,” the ministry said according to state news agency IRNA.

“Last year, they returned to Iran...to carry out terrorist attacks in the holy cities of Iran,” the ministry continued.

IS claimed responsibility for shootings and explosions in Tehran on Wednesday that targeted the Iranian Parliament and the shrine of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini.

The attack killed 17 people and injured over 40 in what was considered a “rare attack” on Iranian soil.

Iran’s foreign minister also denounced as “repugnant” a White House statement on the terror attack in Tehran that said Iran was a “terror sponsor,” according to BBC News. 

US President Donald Trump was quoted as saying he was “praying for the victims,” but added that “states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.”

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Iran “rejected such claims of friendship” and redirected accusations toward the US, claiming the attackers had been “backed by US clients.”

Iran is one of the countries fighting IS in Iraq and Syria.

Mosul, the militant group’s last major stronghold in Iraq, is expected to be liberated before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

In Syria, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began the offensive to retake the extremists’ de facto capital of Raqqa in the first week of June.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany