TEHRAN, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian military commander said that Qatar's remarks regarding the fate of three Iranian pilots believed to be held captive by Qatar since March are not "reassuring and convincing," the semi-official Fars news agency reported Friday.
Commander of the Missing Persons Search Committee of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Mohammad Bagherzadeh said the issue was discussed with Qatari authorities in a recent visit to Doha by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, and is being pursued through multiple channels.
He said that Iran intends to send another expert team to Qatar for further investigations and follow-ups, adding that "the first team (sent to Qatar) had uncovered certain facts during its assessments, and the statements and claims made by Qatari officials had failed to be reassuring and convincing at least for the team's members."
Bagherzadeh said officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross are pursuing the case through the organization's office in Qatar and in Geneva.
"We have conveyed our information and expert findings to the Qatari side," he added.
In August, the commander said Qatari forces had captured three Iranian pilots whose fighter jets were shot down in March when returning from a military mission against a U.S. base in Qatar. A fourth pilot was killed, he added.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari later denied the claim in a social media post. ■
