Ahvaz military parade attack

Ahvaz military parade attack
LocationAhvaz, Khuzestan Province, Iran
Coordinates31°20′8″N 48°38′38″E / 31.33556°N 48.64389°E / 31.33556; 48.64389
Date22 September 2018 (2018-09-22)
09:00–09:10 (Iran Standard Time)
Attack type
Mass shooting
Deaths30 (25 victims, 5 attackers)
Injured70
PerpetratorsIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (claimed responsibility)[1][2]
Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz (initially claimed responsibility, later denied; accused by Iran)
No. of participants
5
Ahvaz military parade attack is located in Iran
Ahvaz military parade attack
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Site of attack

On 22 September 2018, a military parade was attacked by armed gunmen in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz.[3][4] The shooters killed 25 people, including soldiers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and civilian bystanders.[5] It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Iran since the Chabahar suicide bombing in December 2010.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack[6] and released purported photos of the attackers.[7] Iran blamed "militants in Syria"[8] and claimed the "U.S. and the Gulf states enabled the attack" and vowed revenge.[9] The American defence secretary dismissed Iran's threat and denied U.S. involvement, saying it was "ludicrous" for Iran to allege U.S. involvement.[10] Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also rejected and condemned the accusation.[11] A splinter group of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz initially claimed responsibility,[12] but later denied involvement.[13]

On 1 October 2018, in retaliation for the attacks, Iranian Revolutionary Guards fired missiles and carried out drone attacks in Abu Kamal of Syria targeting "militants in Syria it blamed for an attack", Sepah News reported.[8]

  1. ^ "Iran points finger at Arab separatists for deadly attack". AFP.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  2. ^ "The Latest: Boy wounded in Iran parade attack has died". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018. Arab separatists claimed the attack, which killed at least 25 people and wounded about 60 others.
  3. ^ "Several Killed as Gunmen Attack Military Parade in Iran: State TV". The New York Times. Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Several killed, at least 20 injured in attack on military parade in Iran". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. ^ Saeed Kamali Dehghan (22 September 2018). "Terrorists kill Iranian children and soldiers in military parade attack". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Islamic State says Iran attack will not be the last: al Furqan". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference photos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b "Iran fires missiles at militants in Syria linked to attack". U.S. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Iran fumes at 'bully' US after attack". BBC News. 23 September 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  10. ^ Mattis dismisses Iran revenge threat, says U.S. not in attack Archived 26 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  11. ^ Saudi Arabia rejects Iran's claim it backed parade attack Archived 26 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Arab Separatist Group Claims Iran Attack". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference hln was invoked but never defined (see the help page).