Iran urges Pakistan to fight terrorism

An Iranian spokesman calls on Pakistan to work harder to fight terrorism, as it is confirmed that Jondollah has murdered Iranian hostages.

“We have certain expectations from Pakistani officials to fully cooperate with us in fighting terrorists and terrorism which will help peace and stability and good neighborly relations,” Hassan Qashqavi told reporters in Tehran on Monday.

Iran’s Police Commander, Brigadier General Ismail Ahmadi-Moqaddam, said Sunday that new evidence has emerged which suggest that some of the Iranian hostages abducted by the Jondollah terrorist group in the Iranian city of Saravan have been killed.

“The intelligence services have obtained new evidence that some of the hostages have been martyred, but we don’t have any information on the exact number of the martyred,” he added.

Jondollah took 16 police officers hostage in a raid on a checkpoint in Saravan, southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, in June. The hostages were reportedly taken across the border into Pakistan.

In late June, the gang claimed it had killed four of the hostages.

“We will continue our consultations and contacts [with Pakistani officials] and hope these efforts will prepare ground for the release of the hostages,” Qashqavi said.

Based on an extradition agreement in place between Iran and Pakistan, Pakistani authorities handed over Abdolhamid Rigi, brother of the Jondollah leader Abdolmalek Rigi, to Iran in mid-June.

The CIA-funded outlaw group has orchestrated terrorist operations against high profile Iranian targets, particularly government and security officials, in a bid to promote instability in the region and sectarian strife among Iranians. The group is believed to be behind many murders, beatings and abductions in southeastern Iran.

ABC news reported in 2007 that the terrorist cell has been ‘secretly encouraged and advised’ by American officials since 2005.

SF/CW/RA