Suicide bombing in Iran’s Chabahar targets police station, Ansar al-Furqan claims responsibility

Iran: At least three people were killed in a bomb attack in Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar on Thursday, state TV reported, adding that many others were injured.

“This morning a bomb inside a car exploded near a police station in Chabahar. Three people were killed and some others were injured,” Chabahar’s acting governor Rahmdel Bameria told state TV. “The suicide attacker set off the explosion after stopping at police headquarters in Chabahar.”

Mohammad Hadi Marashi, deputy governor for security affairs, told state TV that two police officers were killed in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

TV also reported shooting in the area, which is located in the mainly Sunni province of Sistan-Baluchestan that has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants.

Via Tasnim News Agency

Images and videos posted on Twitter purported to show thick smoke rising from the area.

In a statement, Sunni militant group Ansar al-Furqan has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Ansar al-Furqan statement

Chabahar is a free trade zone and the site of an Indian-backed port complex which is being developed as part of a new transportation corridor for land-locked Afghanistan.

UPDATE – 11th December 2018: 

Ansar al-Furqan released image of the suicide bomber – identified as Abdullah Azizi – who carried out the attack in Chabahar.