Suicide bomber kills 4 in southeast Iran: state media

Tehran, Dec 6 :  A suicide bomber killed at least four people outside a police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, its governor said.

Chabahar governor Rahmdel Bameri said many people were also wounded in the morning car bombing.

“The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by,” Bameri told state television.

Many nearby shop owners and civilian passers-by, including women and children, were severely wounded, he added.

Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border.

The province has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the border and has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and jihadists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities.

The province’s deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, said multiple assailants took part in Thursday’s attack.

“The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb,” he said.

Chabahar has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman and with Indian assistance Iran has been developing it as a a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan.

India strongly condemns Chabahar terror attack

New Delhi, Dec 6 : India Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Chabahar in Iran.

“We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

It said India condemned the “despicable terror” attack.

At least two people were killed and several wounded outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar when a suicide bomber blew up a car.

“We wish speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously.  There can be no justification for any act of terror,” an MEA statement said.