IRAN: UPDATE - RADICAL SUNNI GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR BUS ATTACK

Tehran, 14 Feb. (AKI) - A radical Sunni group, Jundallah (Allah's Brigade), has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack Wednesday on a bus of the Revolutionary Guard, the Pasdaran, in southeast Iran, in a statement sent to Adnkronos International (AKI). Unconfirmed reports say 18 people died in the attack in the city of Zahedan. An Iranian government spokesman said police have arrested four men suspected of carrying out the attack. The Revolutionary Guard officials on the bus were reportedly travelling to the Pasdaran military base of Martyr Mirthosseini outside the city.


"On Wednesday morning, commander Ahmad Dehmordeh of our movement, detonated a bomb as a bus carrying commanders of the Revolutionary Guards was passing by," the Jundallah statement to AKI said. "With today's action, we have meant to respond to the unjust death sentences inflicted by the regime on political militants."

Meanwhile local news agencies, citing government officials, said four people have been arrested over the attack.

"The four arrested are not Iranian citizens," the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Last week, four security officials were killed in Zahedan in an attack claimed by Jundallah.

Zahedan is in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, close to the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan - an area at the centre of violent clashes between security officials and armed groups.

The province has in particular been hit by attacks and kidnappings blamed on the radical Sunni group, which was founded two years ago by Abdolmalek Righi.

Jundallah has since its creation claimed responsibility for 20 attacks and kidnappings of many Pasdaran officials.

The Iranian government, which has blamed ethnic unrest in the southeast on Britain and the United States, accuses Righi and his militants of being "hired by foreign powers" to carry out attacks, to be funded by the US and to cooperate with Pakistan's intelligence.