‘Soldiers of Allah’ attack Iran

Kamna Arora

On October 18, a suicide bomber in Iran killed five senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard and at least 37 others. Hours later, the Iranian government blamed ‘foreign elements’ for the heinous attack in the Pishin district near the Pakistan border, which injured scores of others too. While Pakistan’s Balochistan-based Jundullah claimed the responsibility for the attack in the deprived south-eastern region of Sistan-Balochistan, Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari revealed that Iran had documents, which pointed towards direct ties between Jundullah and American, British, and Pakistani spy agencies. "Behind this scene are the American and British intelligence apparatus, and there will have to be retaliatory measures to punish them," the ISNA news agency quoted Jafari as saying. What is Jundullah? Iran’s Jundullah, Army of Allah or Soldiers of Allah, is not a part of the ‘Jundullah phenomenon’, which became popular during the jihad initiated by the Muslims of Bosnia and Kosovo against the Serbs in the 1990s. This ethnic Baloch insurgent group reportedly came into being in 2002 with an aim to protect the Balochi minority in the lawless region of southeast Iran. Notably, the group operates freely across the porous borders between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is not the first time the group has carried out an attack in Iran. In May, anti-Shi’ite Jundullah was held responsible for a bomb blast in a mosque in the Iranian town of Zahedan, which killed 25 worshippers and injured over 100. However, the recent blast is said to be the deadliest in years as it killed the deputy head of the Guards ground forces. What does Jundullah want? The leader of Jundullah, Abdolmalek Rigi, seeks equal rights for Sunnis and ethnic Balochis in Iran. It is to be noted that he has never demanded separate territory, hence making Jundullah as a Sunni extremist organisation rather than a Baloch nationalist one. In an interview last year, he said that he just wanted the Iranian administration to show consideration for the human rights, faith and culture of the Balochis. This makes Jundullah operating in Iran quite different in ideology from Baloch rebels fighting in Pakistan for independence or autonomy for Balochistan. The Jundullah ideology Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 not only changed the scenario within the country but also shocked the entire international community. The global community was busy in gauging the influence of Iran when Pakistan`s then dictator Zia ul-Haq decided to endorse anti-Shi`ite militant groups and hardline Sunni madrasas to suppress the ‘Shi’ite influence’ spread by the revolution. Saudi Arabia, which is 90% Sunni, funded Pakistan in doing so to contain the new Iran, which discarded Western influences and adopted Shia Islamic teachings. The US had also backed Pakistan to nurture ‘mujahideens’ in order to beat the Soviet forces. The result was the mushrooming of Islamic madrasas along the borders of Pakistan. Many of the madrasas sermonised hardline Sunni Islam in a bid to beat the Shi`ite influence of Iran. The reports also claim that the sectarian agenda of these madrasas influenced the making of Jundullah. As far as the group’s modus operandi is concerned, Pakistan`s Daily Times noted in an editorial that Jundullah “borrows much from the terrorism of the Taliban and al Qaeda”. "For instance, the use of suicide-bombing carries the signature of madrasa-based indoctrination even though the Sunni Baloch of Pakistan are strictly secular," it added. In July, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment published a study, which said that Jundullah are “seemingly copying the practices and discourse of Pakistani movements." Who funds Jundullah? ‘How is Jundullah accruing funds?’, the answer of this significant question will have a lot of repercussions. The Iranian government has already said that Jundullah has contacts with American, British, and Pakistani spy agencies. Abdolhamid Rigi, the brother of Jundullah chief Abdolmalek Rigi, has stated that the group has not only been trained, but also funded by "the US and Zionists". However, the US has denied any such involvement. During George W Bush’s presidency, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh had claimed that the US’ Central Intelligence Agency was backing Iran`s Balochi minority in a bid to weaken the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s former Army Chief, retired General Mirza Aslam Baig, has also claimed that the US supports Jundullah to destabilise Iran and disturb the ‘cordial ties’ between Tehran and Islamabad. However, the US denies such claims. In fact, the US was very quick in condemning the recent suicide attack in Iran. Iran is already at loggerheads with the US over its nuclear programme. Albeit the Obama administration has vowed a new beginning in its ties with Iran, yet the CIA’s role cannot be ignored. It will not be an over-statement that Jundullah might be getting support from some ‘anti-Shi’ite’ forces in Pakistan or Salafi groups in the Gulf. According to several analysts, Jundullah has had links in the past with the Taliban, but there is no evidence to connect it with al Qaeda. Interestingly, Afghanistan`s former deputy interior minister for security, Lieutenant General Hadi Khan, said that Iran itself might have unintentionally aided Jundullah. In an interview with the Jamestown Foundation`s Terrorism Monitor, Hadi Khan revealed that Iran had assisted in arming Taliban forces confronting US troops in Afghanistan. However, it failed to realise that some of those Iranian weapons actually ended up in Jundullah’s hands. "(Iran) wanted to keep NATO forces occupied in southern Afghanistan, but the result was now both Taliban and NATO on their border, and Jundullah attacking from (Afghanistan`s) Zabul province in Pakistani Balochistan," he added. "When Jundullah started making some attacks against Iranian security forces, Iran realised that covert support of the Taliban was not in their interest," the former official said. The allegation made by Hadi Khan goes against Iran`s perceptible counter-terrorism strategy. Undoubtedly, Iran had extended support in the war on terrorism post 9/11 and offered landing rights for US search-and-rescue missions in Afghanistan. Albeit Iran has always supported northern alliance against Taliban and never ever backed Taliban, yet it remains deeply suspicious of the US presence. Some analysts claim that some elements within the Iranian regime are responsible for the smuggling of Iranian weapons, which were recovered from Helmand province in May. What does the attack mean? The attack poses a grave risk to Shi`ite Iran. Further, it has dented the image of powerful Revolutionary Guards. If the Guards failed to save its own commanders, how will it protect the common people? The blast further indicated unstable government and its frail control in the region. "It also shows the limits to Islamic unity within the Islamic Republic itself. This deals a blow to the credentials of the revolution and the international revolutionary aspects of (the late Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini`s doctrine," the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment said. "The paradox is that Iran, which has been active in support of different Islamist movements outside her own territory after the revolution, is now faced with serious armed opposition within her own borders," the Norwegian study added. It is imperative for the Iranian government to reconsider its approach in dealing with the troubled south-eastern province. The government should come up with a strategy to handle Jundullah’s concerns quickly and effectively.