Iraqi security forces have apprehended the terrorists who attacked and killed a group of Iranian workers and engineers in Iraq last week, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says.Maliki made the remarks in meeting with Irans Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Baghdad on Tuesday.
We will not allow the terrorists to play with the security and stability of Iraq and the region, and they will not be able to stop Iraq's economic and infrastructure development, the Iraqi prime minister added.
He also stressed the importance of developing deeper relations with Iran, saying the establishment of security in the Middle East depends on the collective cooperation of all countries in the region.
Maliki added that he has ordered more protection for Iranians in Iraq.
Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, thanked the Iraqi premier for his efforts to arrest the perpetrators of the attack.
The Iranian official, who is in the Iraqi capital to follow up on the attack, emphasized that Tehran would proceed with its strategic ties with Iraq.
On December 13, masked gunmen shot dead 15 Iranian and three Iraqi gas pipeline workers near the village of Balad Ruz, situated some 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad. The attack also left five Iranians and three Iraqis injured.
The victims were working on a pipeline projected to carry natural gas from Iran to its western neighbor, when they came under attack.
In a telephone conversation with Maliki on Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned against terrorist attacks targeting the Muslim world, urging a united front against terrorism.
"We should fight against terrorism as a united [front], Rouhani said, adding, The planned goal of terrorist moves is not only the Iraqi people but also the Muslim world and all those who serve the Iraqi nation.
By Press TV
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