Iran launches missiles at ‘terrorists’ in Syria after deadly army parade attack
This is the third time in recent months that Iran has fired its ballistic missiles in anger
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Monday they launched a missile strike against a “terrorist” headquarters in Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed 24 people in the Iranian city of Ahvaz.
Iranian President Hassan Rowhani had vowed a “crushing” response to last month’s assault – claimed by Islamic State jihadist group – on a military parade commemorating the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
“Based on preliminary reports, many takfiri terrorists and the leaders responsible for the terrorist crime in Ahvaz have been killed or wounded in this missile attack,” the Guards said on their website. The term “takfiri” refers to Sunni Muslim extremists.
The Guards released pictures of what appeared to be missiles lighting up the night sky, leaving trails of smoke as they soared above a desert region with a rugged mountain in the background.
Iran’s Fars news agency said the Guards fired “a number of medium-range” Zolfaghar and Qiam missiles, with a range of 750 kilometres and 800 kilometres (465 and 500 miles), respectively.