Ambassador Tukur Mani: summoned by Iran’s foreign minister

Iran has condemned the attack at the weekend by Nigeria’s soldiers on Shiite muslims in the university town of Zaria, Kaduna State.

The military claimed the Shiite elements who blocked a highway attempted to assassinate the chief of army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai. The Shiites have said there was no such attempt on Buratai.

Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif today summoned Nigeria’s ambassador to the country, Ambassador Tukur Mani, according to its state news agency.

Zarif called on the Nigerian government to take “prompt and serious” action, amidst reports that scores of people were killed by the soldiers. Iran has a predominant Shiite population.

A spokesman of the Shi’ite sect claimed that hundreds of their members were killed.

The army took most of the bodies away, making it impossible to verify the claim, reports said.

A similar altercation between the sect and the army occurred last year during a procession. Zakzaky said that 30 followers and three of his children were killed.

Among the people killed in the weekend attack were Zakzaky’s deputy, spokesman of the sect, Zakzaky’s wife and son, and many others.