Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards promised a “crushing” response to an attack that killed several senior commanders, state television said yesterday, as the death toll from the deadliest such incident in years rose to 42.
Stepping up accusations of Western backing for those behind Sunday’s suicide bombing in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, one of the Guards’ most high-ranking officers said the US and Britain trained “terrorists” in neighboring countries.
The attack and allegations of foreign involvement risk overshadowing talks between Iranian and Western officials in Vienna later yesterday intended to help resolve a standoff with the West about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Pakistan condemned the “ghastly act of terrorism” in an area near its border with the Islamic Republic, and denied suggestions from Tehran that security agents in Pakistan were cooperating with the perpetrators.
The head of the Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said yesterday that Tehran will demand that Pakistan hand over militant rebel leader Abdolmalek Rigi, accused of being the mastermind behind the bombing.
Jafari said a delegation would head to Pakistan and deliver “proof to them so they know that the Islamic Republic is aware of its [Pakistan] support” to Rigi’s group.
“The delegation will ask for him to be handed over,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.
The attack, which killed the deputy head of the Guards’ ground forces, highlighted deepening instability in a region of mainly Shiite Muslim Iran bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Many minority Sunnis live in the area, which has seen an upsurge in bombings and other violence.
On Sunday, state media said a local rebel Sunni group called Jundollah (God’s soldiers) claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded many people ahead of a meeting between Guards officers and tribal chiefs.
“At least 42 killed, dozens hurt in southeast Iran terrorist attack,” said Press TV, Iran’s state English-language television station.
It said tribal leaders and civilians were also among the victims and that the Guards had promised a “crushing response.”
Sunday’s planned meeting in the city of Sarbaz was part of efforts to foster Shiite-Sunni unity and the Guards said the attack was aimed at fomenting sectarian strife in the region.
Sistan-Baluchestan is the scene of frequent clashes between security forces, ethnic Baluch Sunni insurgents and heavily armed drug traffickers.
Jundollah, which accuses Iran’s Shiite-led government of discrimination against Sunnis in the region, has been blamed for many deadly incidents over the last few years.
Iranian officials also accused the US and Britain of involvement, a charge rejected by Washington, which also condemned the attack.
“The base of the terrorists and rebels has not been in Iran. They are trained by America and Britain in some of the neighboring countries,” Iranian TV quoted General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Guards’ ground forces, as saying.
Pro-government daily Kayhan also pointed the finger at Israel, describing the attack as the “new crime” of the Jewish state’s intelligence agency Mossad.
The attack raised tension between Iran and major powers ahead of nuclear talks in Vienna. An Iranian official said that Tehran would enrich uranium itself if nuclear talks fail with the UN watchdog, Russia, France and the US.
The talks will discuss sending Iran’s low enriched uranium abroad for further processing and return to Tehran.
Hardliners may use the bombing incident as an excuse to further clamp down on moderate opponents of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose disputed re-election in June sparked huge opposition protests, analysts said.
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