in Chabahar Wednesday, killing 39 worshipers and prompting the government to expend far more effort blaming Israel and America foe the bombing than the Baluchi rebel band that claimed responsibility.
The government was clearly very embarrassed by the bombing and fearful that the public would dlame the regime more for its inability to protect the public than the Jundollah rebel band for the terrorist act itself.
While that may sound strange, it is what motivates the government to take actions that might seem odd in the West.
The bombing Wednesday was the fourth terrorist action by Jundollah since the group’s founder was executed June 20.
On July 13, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar proclaimed that the execution had forever ended the threat from Jundollah, which was now beheaded and ineffective.
Forty-eight hours later, Jundollah carried out a double suicide bombing at a Zahedan mosque that killed 28. In August, it stopped a bus and kidnapped six people. In September, it kidnapped a man it described as an employee in Iran’s nuclear industry. Then, last week, it executed the suicide bombing inChabahar, 500kilometers (300 miles) south of Zahedan, showing its ability to operate far beyond the Zahedan area.
All of Jundollah’s actions have been in or near Sistan va Baluchestan province, where the Baluchi people of Iran are concentrated.
Initially, officials announced that the Chabahar attack was a double suicide bombing, with the bombs exploding at about 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Within hours, however, officials insisted that Jundollah had sent three suicide bombers but that only one bomb had gone off. Officials boasted that they had foiled the others-killing the second bomber and capturing the third as he was trying to re-cross the borded back into Pakistan.