Iran Condemns Assassination of Sunni Scholars in Iraq

(FNA)- The Iranian foreign ministry on Sunday strongly deplored the assassination of three Sunni clerics in Iraq's Basra province.

Late on Thursday, four unknown gunmen opened fire from a speeding car on the clerics' vehicle, claiming the lives of three Sunni scholars and injuring one.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham condemned the move, and described it as a targeted action to foment religious rifts among the Islamic Ummah on the threshold of the birth anniversary of Islam's Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the 'Unity Week' in the Muslim world.

She expressed confidence that "in light of the Iraqi nation and religious and political elites' vigilance as well as the guidelines of religious leaders and scholars, the enemies and ill-wishers of Iraq would fail".

ISIL is mainly suspected of having done the terror attack. The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.

Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.

The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.