Terrorists Martyr Iran’s Embassy Staffer in Damascus
TEHRAN -- The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday that a local employee of Iran’s embassy in Damascus was martyred last week after being shot in his vehicle in the city by terrorists.
Esmaeil Baghaei said Davood Bitaraf was martyred on December 15, adding the Syrian transitional government is responsible for “identifying, prosecuting, and punishing the perpetrators of this crime.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seriously pursuing the matter through appropriate channels and various diplomatic and international avenues,” Baghaei added.
The spokesman extended his condolences to the Iranian nation and the bereaved family of the martyr as he condemned the act of terror. He said the body of the embassy employee been found, identified and transferred to Iran in recent days.
Militants, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stormed and ransacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.
Last Monday, Baghaei said the Iranian embassy in Syria will resume its activities operations once the “necessary conditions” are met.
“The reopening of the embassy in Damascus requires preparations, the most important of which is ensuring the security and safety of the embassy and its staff,” the Iranian diplomat said.