India-Iran Bonhomie Proving Indigestible? Pakistani Terror Group Behind Chabahar Suicide Attack, Claims Report

A Pakistan based terror outfit ‘Ansar al-Furqan’ which has links with the infamous Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group, is the prime suspect behind the suicide car bombing that hit Chabahar port in Iran yesterday (6 December), reported The Economic Times. The group has also issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack which killed 2 policemen and wounded 30 others.

India is keenly invested in the development of a special economic zone in Chabahar, which it sees as the gateway to a safe passage to Afghanistan, and by extension, Central Asia. A planned railway line is also in the works to connect Chabahar with Zahedan close to the Afghan border, as per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India, Iran and Afghanistan.

The External Affairs Ministry released a statement condemning the attack, “India strongly condemns today’s despicable terrorist attack in Chabahar, Iran. We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack. We wish speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously.”

Ansar al-Furqan is a splinter group of the Baloch Sunni insurgent group ‘Jundallah’ and has been active in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran as well as the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It has close ties with JeM, which had carried out an attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001. Iran has often chastised Pakistan for failing to control the activities of Baloch Sunni fundamentalists on its territory.