Iran said it struck jihadists on Monday in Syria with ballistic missiles and combat drones in retaliation for a deadly attack on an Iranian military parade, warning the "real punishment" was still to come. Last month's shooting in the Iranian city of Ahvaz killed 24 people and was claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.
The pre-dawn strike by Iran, which has vowed to boost its ballistic missile capabilities despite Western concerns, targeted the town of Hajin, about 24 kilometres (15 miles) north of Albu Kamal near Syria's eastern border with Iraq, state TV reported. "The headquarters of those responsible for the terrorist crime in Ahvaz was attacked a few minutes ago east of the Euphrates by several ballistic missiles fired by the aerospace branch of the Revolutionary Guards," the Guards said on their website.
"Based on preliminary reports, many takfiri terrorists and the leaders responsible for the terrorist crime in Ahvaz have been killed or wounded in this missile attack." The term "takfiri" refers to Sunni Muslim extremists.
Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the strike targeted "a recognised and specific focal point of terrorists on the east of the Euphrates". "It was necessary," he said. Six medium-range ballistic missiles were fired from western Iran at 2:00 am (2230 GMT Sunday), dealing a "fatal blow", the Guards said.
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