Afghanistan rejects Pakistan remarks over Rigi

Fri Oct 23, 2009

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ahmad Zahir Faqiri, has rejected claims that Jundallah leader Abdulmalek Rigi was in Afghanistan.

Faqiri made the remark in reply to Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik's earlier claims that Rigi was in Afghanistan.

"Malik's remarks that Rigi is in Afghanistan is completely baseless," the Afghan spokesperson said on Friday.

"We support Iranian officials viewpoint that Jundallah's masterminds are in Pakistan," he added.

"Terrorist groups' key hubs are outside Afghanistan," he further explained.

On Thursday, Pakistan's Interior Minister said that Rigi was in Afghanistan.

"We can even point out his exact location in Afghanistan," Malik said.

At least 41 people, including senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Nour-Ali Shoushtari and Rajab-Ali Mohammadzadeh, were killed in a Sunday morning suicide bombing at a gathering of Shia and Sunni tribal leaders in the borderline region of Pishin.

The Pakistan-based Jundullah terrorist group, which is closely affiliated with the notorious al-Qaeda organization, has claimed responsibility for the bomb blast.

Jundullah terrorists have staged a tidal wave of bombings and terrorist attacks in Iran, one of which left at least 25 Iranians dead in early June.

In a recent interview with Press TV, Rigi's brother, Abdulhamid, confirmed that the Jundallah leader had established close ties with US agents.

His brother said that in just one of his meetings with the US operatives, Rigi had received $100,000 to fuel sectarianism in Iran.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109388.html.