Dpty FM: Iran holds US responsible for lives of 48 kidnapped pilgrims
Tehran, Aug 7, IRNA – Deputy IRI Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdolahian said here Monday Iran forwarded a letter to USA through its interest section at Swiss Embassy in Tehran on fate of 48 kidnapped Iranian pilgrims in Syria.
The deputy foreign minister in Arab and African affairs added in his exclusive early Tuesday morning interview with IRNA Political Desk, “In the protest letter, keeping in mind the clear US support for the terrorist groups and forwarding of weapons to Syria, Iran has noted that Washington is responsible for the lives of the 48 kidnapped Iranian pilgrims in Damascus.”
The Iranian deputy foreign minister reiterated, “The United States, as a state-sponsor of terrorism, is held responsible for the lives of the Iranian pilgrims.”
The diplomat meanwhile in addition to the United Sates, addressed the Qatari and Turkish governments in this respect, asking them to heed their responsibilities regarding safeguarding the lives of the kidnapped Iranian pilgrims in Syria.
Amir-Abdolahian focusing on the other moves made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the 48 kidnapped Iranian pilgrims in Syrian said, “Those pilgrims were heading for a pilgrimage of Lady Zeinab (P) in Damascus on the blessed birth anniversary of (the 2nd Shi’a) Imam Hassan (P), when a group called the Free Syrian Army kidnapped them and took them hostage.”
He added, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs got engaged in intensified diplomatic moves as soon as getting informed about the kidnapping of those individuals, and Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi got in touch with the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and asked him to interfere in the matter and assist in efforts aimed at freeing the 48 Iranian pilgrims.”
The deputy FM added, “Salehi also had a similar phone talk with the Qatari prime minister and another one with his Qatari counterpart, asking them for Doha’s ding the best for the relapse from captivity of these pilgrims.”
Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that the intensive efforts made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue till achieving favorable results, adding, “We expect those countries that are in a way responsible in the ongoing events in Syria to take the necessary steps aimed at ensuring the health, and providing for safe return home of the kidnapped Iranian pilgrims.”
The deputy Iranian foreign minister in Arab and African affairs in response to IRNA question, “Do you confirm the dispatched news on getting killed of a number of the kidnapped Iranian pilgrims?” said, “According to the surveys done thus far, there are no confirmed news on getting killed of those Iranian citizens, and we sure hope the diplomatic efforts made in this respect would lead to contributions of the countries that are responsible for the occurrence of this event would also make their diplomatic moves, and we would be witnesses to the safe return home of all these Iranian pilgrims.
Gunmen snatched 47 Iranian pilgrims just outside Damascus on Saturday in a brazen attack.
The abduction came as Syrian troops moved to crush one of the last rebel-dominated neighborhoods in the capital, shelling the area heavily. No group immediately claimed responsibility, although Iranian state media blamed the rebels fighting the Assad regime.
The pilgrims were on a bus taking them from the suburb of Sayeda Zeinab, about 10 miles south of Damascus, to the airport to return home when they were kidnapped, according to the Iranian state news agency, IRNA.
Iran is a close ally of the Syrian government, which is dominated by the Alawite Shi’a sect. Syria has long welcomed Iranian pilgrims visiting the ornate gold-domed shrine of Sayeda Lady Zeinab, the Prophet Muhammad’s granddaughter. Up to 700,000 pilgrims used to come every year, IRNA said, although the number has fallen precipitously since the 17-month uprising that has killed an estimated 19,000.
Late Saturday, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency announced that Syrian forces had freed the hostages, but cited no source. There was no confirmation from the Syrians.
Just a few miles from the site of the kidnapping, regime forces encircled the southern Damascus neighborhood of Tadamon, a bastion of rebel support.
The kidnapping was the largest such abduction of Iranian pilgrims, although it was not the first.
In January, gunman kidnapped 11 Iranian pilgrims driving from the Turkish border to Damascus. At least two were later freed with Turkish mediation. Seven Iranian engineers building a power plant in central Syria were kidnapped in December and the Free Syrian Army claimed responsibility, accusing them of aiding Assad’s regime. At least four have been released.
Sunni Muslim militants often attacked Iranian pilgrims visiting holy sites in neighboring Iraq during the years of unrest there. There have been reports of an influx of such militants into Syria since the uprising began. Targeting of the pilgrims maybe seen as attacking the allies of the Damascus regime.
A Syrian-based Sunni militant group posted on jihadi web forums that it had kidnapped and executed a prominent Syrian television broadcaster, who had been reported missing since July 19.
The al-Nusra Front announced that Mohammed Saeed, presenter for the Syrian “Talk of the Town” program, had been captured and put on trial before being executed.
Two weeks ago, the government crushed the rebels’ biggest yet campaign in the capital city that included incursions by fighters into downtown neighborhoods and an audacious bomb attack that killed four members of Assad’s inner circle.
The main battle, however, has now moved to Syria’s largest city of Aleppo, some 215 miles north of Damascus, where rebels seized several neighborhoods two weeks ago and have proved difficult to dislodge.
On Saturday, hundreds of rebels attacked the strategic television broadcast building and were only driven off after a three-hour battle in which the government resorted to jet fighters and helicopter gunships.
Courtesy: Tri Valley Central for the background
