In a message on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei offered condolences to the bereaved families of the 27 IRGC forces who were martyred in the terrorist attack in the southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan.
“The criminal hands of mercenaries was, once again, stained with the blood of the righteous and young servants of the country, and a group of (individuals) dedicated to protecting the borders and the security of the people were martyred in the attack by the dark-faced cruel terrorists,” the Leader said.
There are clear links between the terror attack and spy agencies of some countries in the region and beyond, Ayatollah Khamenei added, urging the Iranian security organizations to seriously pursue the issue.
The Leader further emphasized that it is the IRGC responsibility to find possible dereliction of duty in the incident.
The IRGC personnel were traveling between the cities of Zahedan and Khash, in Sistan and Balouchestan, when their bus was targeted in a suicide car bomb attack.
The IRGC’s Quds Base said in a statement that an explosives-laden car rammed into the bus, which was taking the personnel back to their homes.
The attack killed 27 IRGC members and injured 13 others.
The so-called Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.