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2010 Chabahar suicide bombing

Two suicide bombers attacked a Shia Muslim mourning procession outside the Imam Husain Mosque in Chabahar, Iran, on December 14, 2010, killing dozens of worshippers and injuring more than 100.

Illustrative

On December 14, 2010, a suicide bombing struck a crowded Shia Muslim mourning procession outside the Imam Husain Mosque in the southeastern Iranian coastal city of Chabahar. The attack occurred on the day of Tasu'a, when Shiite Muslims gather to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and successor Ali ibn Abi Talib. The bombing took place a day before the Day of Ashura, one of the most significant dates in the Shia religious calendar, when large numbers of worshippers were gathered in the area around the mosque.

According to the account, two suicide bombers were involved in the incident. The first attacker detonated his explosives outside the Imam Husain Mosque and was killed in the blast. A second attacker carried out an attack in the crowd of Shiite worshippers; this individual was later arrested rather than killed. According to the Governor of Chabahar, Ali Bateni, the arrested suspect had been caught after failing to detonate explosives outside the office of Chabahar's governor, a detail attributed to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.

Casualty figures varied across reporting. Between 38 and 39 worshippers were reported killed in the blast, with more than 100 others injured. The BBC reported fears that many women and children were among those killed. The Guardian reported that the death toll had reached 41 in later accounting.

Regarding responsibility, Al Arabiya reported that Jundullah, described as a Sunni extremist rebel group, claimed responsibility for the bombing. Chabahar's Governor Ali Bateni stated that the mastermind behind the attack had been arrested. Separately, Alaeddin Borujerdi, described as the head of the Iranian parliament's foreign committee, was reported by France 24 to have claimed that the United States and Britain were sponsors of the attack.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2010
Location
Outside Imam Husain Mosque, Chabahar, Iran
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 2010-12-14

    Two suicide bombers attacked a Shia Muslim mourning procession outside the Imam Husain Mosque in Chabahar, Iran, on the day of Tasu'a. One bomber was killed; a second was later arrested.

Best coverage

No coverage has been attached to this file yet.

People

  • Ali Bateni

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Governor of Chabahar; stated that one attacker was killed, a second attacker arrested, and that the mastermind behind the attack had been apprehended.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Two suicide bombers attacked a Shia Muslim mourning procession outside the Imam Husain Mosque in Chabahar, Iran, on December 14, 2010, killing dozens of worshippers and injuring more than 100.
Where did the bombing happen?
Outside Imam Husain Mosque, Chabahar, Iran.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC2010 Chabahar suicide bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ReutersReuters · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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