Friday, February 16, 2007

Baluch Rebel Group Takes Credit for Attack on Iran

Events in Baluchistan don't interest western audiences, but they are important for Pakistan -- and eventually for much of the world -- because it is supposed to become the transit region for the gas pipelines Pakistan hopes will be built from Turkmenistan, connecting its huge gas reserves to the Indian Ocean port being built at Gwadar. But as long as Baluchistan is restive that hope is problematic. In fact, there is little prospect that the Baluch will allow the pipeline to come through without substantial concessions from the government. Stay tuned.

This following is excerped from the article Iran: Separatists Claim Responsibility for Baluchistan Attack, of Adnkronos International:

"Jondallah, the main armed separatist group of Iranian Baluchistan, has claimed responsibility Friday for an attack the previous night in Zahedan, the capital of Iranian Baluchistan..."
"...Since the Jondallah militant group led by Abdol Malek Righi was set up two years ago, at least 34 people have died in attacks carried out by its members against officials of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the Pasdaran, and Iranian police. Tehran claims Righi and his militants are "terrorists hired by foreign powers."

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