He made the remarks Tuesday on the sidelines of an event in Tehran commemorating the martyrs of last week’s terror attack in Sistan and Baluchistan province.

“We will not leave unanswered the criminal acts of terrorists in martyring IRGC border guards in Khash road,” he told reporters.

“We will definitely plan on this issue; this is [Iranian] nation’s expectation,” he added.

Touching upon good cooperation between different security-related bodies in this regard, he said, “from the first moments of these incidents, Supreme National Security Council started its studies so that we can give a crushing response.”

The suicide attack, which targeted a bus carrying Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel near Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan province, claimed the lives of 27 people and injured dozens of others.

The so-called Jaish ul-Adl terror group, which is based across the border in Pakistan and is responsible for kidnapping Iranian border guards and carrying out other terrorist attacks of this kind in Zahedan over the past years, claimed responsibility for the Wednesday attack.

In a Monday statement, IRGC noted that its forces had launched an operation Sunday night and stuck numerous hideouts in Saravan and Khash in which the terrorists behind the attack were residing. Three terrorists have been arrested, reads the statement, adding that 150kg of explosives, 600kg of raw materials for explosives, and some weapons and ammunition have been seized during the operation.

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said Tuesday that IRGC forces have identified the perpetrators behind the attack. The suicide bomber named Hafiz Muhammad Ali and another perpetrator, Abu Bakr, were Pakistani nationals, he said adding that three others were from the Sistan and Baluchistan region, adding that two of them have been arrested, while the third one is still at large.

He made the remarks at the open session of the Iranian Parliament where he was summoned to answer a question regarding intelligence ministry’s measures to prevent terrorist attacks in the country.

Security services of neighboring and even far-away countries are now directly engaged in undermining the security of Iran, said the minister, adding that they fully support terrorist groups financially and logistically while also providing special training for them.

He went on to say that the intelligence ministry has managed to foil 97 to 98 from every 100 terrorist attacks which is a significant record across the world. No security service can claim that it can prevent 100% of terrorist attacks, Alavi added.

At the end of the session, MP Jahanbakhsh Mohebbinia who had framed this question was convinced by the minister’s answer.

He made the Monday remarks in the funeral ceremony of martyrs of the terror attack in Ahvaz.

Iranian forces will identify and punish the roots of these terrorists to the last person, he said, adding that some of these terrorists have been already arrested.

Criminals who have committed this crime should know that Iran will not remain silent in face of this terror attack, he highlighted.

The Iranian minister made the remarks late on Tuesday during an interview with Iranian state TV. He also added that the Iranian security agents have delivered a blow to terrorist groups in the northwestern Iran.

Alavi reassured that the intelligence ministry is the guardian of the interests and security of the Iranian people and needs people’s accompaniment to address its responsibilities.

“Around 32 terrorist groups and 100 grouplets in various sizes which are supported by foreigners to create insecurity in the country,” he added. “Some foreign intelligence services have told us that these anti-Iran terrorists groups are after creating a situation like Iraq and Syria in Iran and spark sectarian and tribal wars in Iran with dividing between Sunnis and Shias. Their plot was to martyr 5 Sunni clerics and then point the finger at Shias,” recounted the top intelligence official if Iran.

Alavi recounted that the second part of the plot was to conduct explosions in Shias places of congregation to lay the blame on Sunnis.

“They intended to stimulate Shias and Sunnis in this way to create a Shia-Sunni war in Iran. Thank God all these terrorists were identified and arrested and the plot was defused. Thank God Iranian Sunnis withstood against these plots and they played the major role in foiling these plots,” he said.

“In the past year we have delivered blows to 269 groups, squads, and networks which were supported by terrorist groups like Kurdish Democrats, Komala Party and other similar groups. This shows the intelligence dominance of the intelligence ministry which does not allow the enemies to create insecurity in Iran,” reiterated the minister.