TASOOKI, SISTAN AND BALUCHESTAN, IRAN – MARCH 16, 2006 An armed attack took place in which a group led by Abdulmalek Righi stopped vehicles on a road near the Iranian-Afghan border. The attackers were dressed in police uniforms and posed as security forces.
According to available information, they separated the passengers based on their religious and ethnic identity. They then executed some Shia passengers, while leaving women and children alive. Twenty-two people were killed, another six were injured, and several people were abducted as hostages. Some hostages were held for approximately five months, while other reports stated that some detainees were released only after 200 days.
The Iranian government described the attackers as politically motivated rebels and said they were demanding the release of members of the Jundullah group from prison. Iranian officials also accused the United States and the United Kingdom of supporting the group, an allegation Britain denied.
