Iran to send team to Yemen over diplomat assassination

An Iranian delegation will be sent to Yemen to investigate the assassination of an Iranian diplomat in the country, an Iranian official says.

A Foreign Ministry team would be sent to Sana’a on Sunday, IRNA quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as saying.

On Saturday, Iranian commercial attaché in Yemen Abolqassem Assadi was gunned down by members of a terrorist group outside the Iranian ambassador’s residence in the Yemeni capital Sana’a.

“Yesterday (Saturday), a terrorist group tried to kidnap Assadi but faced resistance and as a result the terrorists shot at him four times and left the scene immediately,” Amir-Abdollahian said, adding the body of the Iranian diplomat would be transferred to Iran.

Following the attack, a medical team was about to be sent to Yemen to help with the treatment of the diplomat in the hospital, but unfortunately he died of injuries, said the senior Foreign Ministry official.

In a telephone conversation after the attack, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi expressed condolences to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and the victim’s family.

Qirbi also said the Yemeni government would welcome an Iranian delegation to Sana’a and was ready to cooperate with Iran to investigate the attack.