| 2008 Shiraz Explosion | |
|---|---|
| Location | Shiraz, Iran |
| Date | April 12, 2008 21:15pm (UTC+3.30) |
| Deaths | 14 |
| Injured | 202 |
| Perpetrator(s) | Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran |
The 2008 Shiraz bombing was an April 12, 2008 explosion that occurred during prayers at the Hosseynieh Seyed al-Shohada Mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. Fourteen people were killed and 202 were injured.[1] Around 800 people, which were mostly youth, were gathered at the Mosque to hear sermons which usually include sermons attacking the Wahabi denomination of Sunni Islam and the Bahá'í Faith.[2]
The deputy governor of the province, Mohammad Reza Hadaegh, told IRIB an investigation was under way.[3] Iranian officials first stated that the blast was not a terrorist attack, but caused by leftover munitions that were on display in the mosque as part of an exhibition commemorating Iran's 1980-1988 war against Iraq.[4] However, in May, Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said the blast was an act of terrorism and 12 terrorists had been arrested before they attacked the Russian Consulate and religious centers in Qom.[5] Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei accused United States and Britain of involvement in the bombing and attempted to press charges against the two countries.[6] [7] [8]
An Iranian monarchist group calling itself the Soldiers of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, (Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran), claimed responsibility for the bombing.[9][10]
In November 2008, Iran sentenced three men to death after they were convicted of the bombing.[11] One of these men, Mehdi Eslamian, was hanged with four others on May 9, 2010. His brother had previously been hanged for the bombing.[12]
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Ali Nowrouzi | 19 |
| Gholam Moussavi | 45 |
| Erfan Entezami | 6 |
| Najmeh Ghassempour | 20 |
| Mohammad Javad Yaghout | 30 |
| Alireza Entezami | 11 |
| Massoud Rezaei | 25 |
| Mohammad Mahdavi | 21 |
| Mohammad Jokar | 25 |
| Ali Nasiri | 38 |
| Mohammad Javad Alavi | ? |