1994 Imam Reza shrine bomb explosion
 A police officer carrying body of a child victim after explosion | |
| Date | June 20, 1994 (Ashura 1415 AH) |
|---|---|
| Location | Mashhad, Iran |
| Organised by | People's Mujahedin of Iran |
| Casualties | |
| 25 (26[1]) dead | |
| 70 (over 200[1]) injured | |
| Suspect(s) | Ramzi Yousef, Abdul Shakoor, MEK |
A bomb explosion occurred at the shrine of Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Imam of Shia, on 20 June 1994 at 14:26 in a crowded prayer hall in Mashhad, Iran .[2] To maximize the amount of the casualties, the explosion day was timed to be coincident with Ashura, one of the holiest days for Shia muslims,[3] when hundreds of pilgrims had gathered to commemorate the death of their third Imam, Husayn ibn Ali.[4]
The attack left at least 25 dead and more than 70[3] (200,[5] nearly 300[2] and over 200[1]) injured. The bomb was equivalent to 10 pounds of TNT, according to experts.[2] Strict security measures are applied after this terrorist attack, and visitors are searched before entering the shrine.[6] The event caused further political unrest in Iran.[7]
Suspects
The Iranian government blamed the Iraqi-backed People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).[3] According to IRNA, the official Iranian news agency, a caller claimed responsibility for the event in the name of the People's Mujahedeen (MEK). However, MEK condemned the attack.[4] Ramzi Yousef, a member of al-Qaeda, was also accused of performing the terror action.[8][9] Yousef was supposedly hired by MEK.[10] According to an anonymous US official, Yousef built the bomb and MEK agents placed it in the shrine.[11] According to the analysts, he was suspected of having connections with MEK because of his Iraqi background.[12] In his Terror Tagging however, Tanter accuses a Pakistani militant and not MEK of having connections to Yousef to carry out the bombing.[13] News, A Pakistani daily paper, held Abdul Shakoor, a young religious radical living in Lyari in Karachi who had intimate contacts with Yousef, responsible for the bombing.[12]
References
- 1 2 3 Staff writers. "Context of 'June 20, 1994: Ramzi Yousef Bombs Iranian Shrine'". www.historycommons.org. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Bomb explosion in Imam Reza Holy Shrine". Islamic Revolution Document Center. 1994. Archived from the original on 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
- 1 2 3 Haeri, Safa (21 June 1994). "Bomb kills 25 and injures 70 at Iran's holiest shrine". The Independent. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- 1 2 Staff writers (21 June 1994). "Bomb Kills 25 At Holy Place In Iranian City". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ↑ Atkins, Stephen E. (2011-06-02). The 9/11 Encyclopedia: Second Edition. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598849219. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- ↑ Harris, Mark Edward (2012-03-02). Inside Iran. Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452113623. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ↑ Taylor & Francis Group (2003-10-30). The Middle East and North Africa 2004. Psychology Press. p. 376. ISBN 9781857431841. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ↑ Warner, Judith Ann (2010). U.S. Border Security: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598844078. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ↑ Kushner, Harvey W. (2002-12-04). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781452265506. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ↑ Staff (15 February 2012). "Iran Policy Committee: NBC Deceived By Iran's Intelligence Ministry And Anonymous U.S. Sources". TheStreet. Archived from the original on 2016-10-13. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ↑ Brian Williams. "Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News". Rock Center. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- 1 2 Raman, B. (1 July 2002). "Sipah-E-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashhar-E-Jhangvi, Bin Laden & Ramzi Yousef". South Asia Analysis Group. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ↑ Staff writer. "Iran Policy Committee: NBC Deceived By Iran's Intelligence Ministry And Anonymous U.S. Sources". Archived from the original on 2016-10-13. Retrieved 14 October 2016.