MNA– Iran's Deputy FM Ghashghavi has announced that DNA tests are required to identify corpses of martyred pilgrims in Hilla bombing incident.


Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranian Affairs Hassan Ghashghavi made the remarks adding "except for earlier announcements on Friday, no fresh news is available on exact death toll of the terrorist blast in Iraq."

"A number of martyrs need to go through DNA tests before they are identified," highlighted the official asserting "those injured in the bombing are being transferred back to the country while planning is being made to bring home martyrs in order to identify the exact number of Iranian, Paki and Afghan victims."

He went on to expound that most probably all corpses will be first transferred to Iran to determine their nationalities via tests.

"Relevant organizations are following up the issue," said Ghashghavi emphasizing that current statistics on death toll of the incident are inexact and hypothetical."

Iran's deputy FM further reiterated that given the massive volume of the blast, offering reliable statistics on toll of martyred pilgrims seems unattainable in the short run.

According to media sources, a suicide truck bomb killed and injured a number of pilgrims at a petrol station in the city of Hilla 100 km (62 miles) south of Baghdad on Thursday.