Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday they launched a missile strike against a "terrorist" headquarters in Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed 24 people in the Iranian city of Ahvaz.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had vowed a "crushing" response to last month's assault -- claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group -- on a military parade commemorating the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
"The headquarters of those responsible for the terrorist crime in Ahvaz was attacked a few minutes ago east of the Euphrates by several ballistic missiles fired by the aerospace branch of the Revolutionary Guards," the Guards said on their website.
"Based on preliminary reports, many takfiri terrorists and the leaders responsible for the terrorist crime in Ahvaz have been killed or wounded in this missile attack," they added. The term "takfiri" refers to Sunni Muslim extremists.
The Guards released pictures of what appeared to be missiles lighting up the night sky, leaving trails of smoke as they soared above a desert region with a rugged mountain in the background.
Iran's Fars news agency said the Guards fired "a number of medium-range" Zolfaghar and Qiam missiles, with a range of 750 kilometres and 800 kilometres (465 and 500 miles), respectively.