Pakinstani-linked Sunni group reportedly claiming responsibility
Iranian state media reports a massive suicide bombing has ripped through an Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) transport bus in the country’s southeast on Wednesday, leaving at least 20 dead and over 20 wounded.
The death toll is likely to climb higher as more information is revealed. State-run FARS News Agency’s live reports have identified up to 30 dead in the aftermath.
The attack follows a similar incident last September, wherein ISIS claimed responsibility for a mass shooting at a military parade which left 29 dead. The last known suicide bombing inside Iran was in 2017, making Wednesday’s bombing a rare and devastating event, especially considering it reportedly targeted elite IRGC personnel.
According to early AP and Reuters reports, IRGC troops were aboard a bus when it exploded:
“The suicide bomber struck a bus transporting IRGC members on the road between the cities of Zahedan and Khash in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, a volatile area near the border with Pakistan where militant groups and drug smugglers frequently operate, Fars reported.
