Web Desk
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched targeted missile attacks on alleged “terrorist” targets in Iraq and Syria, causing heightened tensions in the region.
According to reports, the IRGC aimed to eliminate key strongholds of anti-Iranian elements, including an “espionage headquarters” and gathering of terrorist groups in Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
In response to recent terrorist activities, particularly the tragic suicide bombing near the tomb of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, the Guards fired ballistic missiles at gathering points in Syria. This retaliation was conceived as a response to the crimes committed by terrorist groups that led to the unjust martyrdom of Iranian citizens in Kerman and Rask.
The United States condemned Iran’s actions, and State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “The United States today strongly condemns Iran’s attacks in Erbil and extends its condolences to the families of those killed. We oppose Iran’s reckless missile attacks that undermine the stability of Iraq.”
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The recent spate of violence includes a suicide bombing near General Soleimani’s tomb claimed by the Islamic State group that left around 90 dead. Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence reported that one of the suicide bombers was a Tajik national, while the identity of the other remains unknown.
In a separate incident, at least 11 Iranian policemen were killed in an attack on a police station in Rask, located in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, claimed by jihadists. The group responsible, Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), founded in 2012 and blacklisted by Iran as a “terrorist” organization.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the IRGC claimed to have struck an alleged Israeli target and claimed the destruction of Mossad’s spy headquarters in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. According to the IRGC statement, the Targeted Command played a central role in developing espionage operations and planning terrorist actions in the region.
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