Secretary-General condemns deadly mosque bombing in Iran

(July 17, 2010) The U N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned Friday’s suicide bombings at a mosque in Iran which have reportedly killed dozens of people and injured many more. “This senseless act of terrorism at a place of worship makes it all the more reprehensible,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. According to press reports, the twin bombings took place at a Shi’a mosque in the city of Zahedan in south-east Iran shortly after evening services. In his statement, the Secretary-General extended his condolences to the victims’ families and to Iran’s Government and people. Shiite worshippers were attending ceremonies marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, when the first blast went off outside the mosque in the provincial capital Zahedan. The male bomber was disguised as a woman, local lawmaker Hossein Ali Shahriari told reporters. As people rushed to help, the second explosion detonated, causing the majority of the deaths and injuries. The blast was the latest by the group Jundallah, which has repeatedly succeeded in carrying out deadly strikes on the Guard, the country's most powerful military force. Members of the Guard were among the worshippers, particularly because the ceremonies coincided with Iran's official Revolutionary Guard Day.