The Afghan government on Sunday strongly condemned the deadly attack by gunmen on a military parade in Ahvaz city inIran on Saturday that killed 29 people and wounded nearly 70 others.

“The government of Afghanistan believes terrorism is regional and a global phenomenon and there is a need for all countriesto fight against this,” the statement read.

In addition, the statement indicated that cooperation between countries “can be effective in fighting terrorism.”

The statement also added that the Afghan government believed that terrorism doesn’t know any borders and “are enemies of humanity; because of this reason the time has come to fight against this because residents of all countries are being targeted.”

Iran’s state television said the attack targeted a stand where officials were gathered to watch the annual military parade, marking the start of the country’s 1980-88 war with Iraq.

Iran was holding similar parades in several cities including the capital Tehran and the port of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf.

“Shooting began by several gunmen from behind the stand during the parade,” a correspondent told state televisionimmediately after the incident.

However, the death toll increased to 29 during the course of the day.

Semi-official news agency Mehr said further shooting broke out as some of the attackers who managed to escape were being chased.

State television blamed “takfiri elements”, a reference to Sunni militants, for the attack. Ahvaz is in the center of Khuzestan province, which has been the site of sporadic protests by Iran’s Arab minority.

An unnamed spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards blamed Arab nationalists, who he said were backed by Saudi Arabia, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

Tensions between traditional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia have surged in recent years, with the two countries supporting opposite sides in wars in Syria and Yemen and rival political parties in Iraq and Lebanon.

However Daesh late Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack.