A bomb explosion occurred at the shrine of Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Imam of Shia, on 20 June 1994 in a crowded prayer hall in Mashhad, Iran. To maximize the number of casualties, the explosion took place on 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]
| Imam Reza shrine bombing | |
|---|---|
 The Imam Reza Shrine, where the bomb explosion took place | |
| Location | Mashhad, Iran |
| Date | 20 June 1994 (Ashura 1415 AH) |
| Deaths | 25 or 26[1] |
| Injured | At least 70 or over 200[1] |
| Accused | Ramzi Yousef, Abdul Shakoor, MEK, Al-Haraka al-Islamiya al-Iraniya (Sunni group claiming responsibility)[2] |
The attack left at least 25 dead and at least 70 injured.[3][a] The bomb was equivalent to 10 pounds of TNT, according to experts.[6] Although a Sunni group claimed responsibility, the Iranian government laid the blame on the People's Mujahedin of Iran, and others have accused a Pakistani militant.
Bombing
On 20 June, the shrine was crowded with self-flagellating mourners, celebrating Ashura and commemorating the death of Husayn ibn Ali. At 14:26, a bomb exploded in a crowded prayer hall in the women's section of the shrine.[4] The Independent described it as "the first attack on such a holy place" or "the worst terrorist atrocity in Iran since 1981".[3][6] In protest, people gathered outside the mosque and hospitals.[4]
Damage included the destruction of one wall and the prayer hall's dome, and the breaking of crystal chandeliers.[4]
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 MEK. However, MEK condemned the attack.[4] Ramzi Yousef, a member of al-Qaeda who was responsible for several terrorist attacks worldwide, was also accused of being responsible, supposedly having been hired by MEK.[7][8][9] According to an anonymous US official, Yousef built the bomb and MEK agents placed it in the shrine.[10] According to the analysts, he was suspected of having connections with MEK because of his Iraqi background.[11] However, Raymond Tanter, a member of the United States National Security Council under President Ronald Reagan, believes that MEK was not involved, and that a Pakistani militant connected to Yousef was the perpetrator.[9] News, A Pakistani daily newspaper, identified that person to be Abdul Shakoor, a young religious radical living in Lyari in Karachi.[11]
A month after the attack, a Sunni group calling itself Al-Haraka al-Islamiya al-Iraniya claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite this, the Iranian government continued to hold the MEK responsible.[2] According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, in a trial in November 1999, Interior Minister Abdollah Nouri claimed it was a false flag attack by the Iranian regime to blame MEK.[12]
Aftermath
Strict security measures were applied after this attack, and visitors are now searched before entering the shrine.[13] The event caused further political unrest in Iran.[14][failed verification]
Portrayals
A 2013 play entitled "the picture of Aziz's event" narrated the life of a woman who was going to visit Imam Reza shrine on the day of the bombing.[15]
See also
Notes
References
External links
- A clip showing the scene after the explosion Archived 2016-10-13 at the Wayback Machine