Al Jazeera English - Middle East - Iran commanders killed
Iran commanders killed
At least seven senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are among about 30 people who have been killed in an attack in southeastern Iran.
The suicide bombing, which occurred early on Sunday morning in the city of Pisheen, in Sistan-Baluchestan province, wounded another 40 people, according to the state news agency.
General Nourali Shoushtari, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' armed forces, and General Mohammadzadeh, the Guard's commander in Sistan-Baluchestan, were killed.
The attack, the deadliest attack in Iran in recent years, occurred as officers were preparing to stage a meeting between locals from Shia and Sunni communities.
Some local tribal leaders, civilians and senior Revolutionary Guards' officers were reportedly among those killed.
Ali Larijani, Iran's parliamentary speaker, confirmed the deaths in an address to parliament.
"We express our condolences for their martyrdom ... The intention of the terrorists was definitely to disrupt security in Sistan-Baluchestan province,'' Larijani told an open session of the parliament.
A Sunni group called Jundallah (Soldiers of God) claimed responsibility for the attack, according to state media.
Past attacks
Sistan-Baluchestan borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, and has been the scene of past clashes between security forces, Sunni fighters and drug traffickers.
Jundallah (Soldiers of God) has been accused by Tehran of launching regular attacks in the province and is strongly opposed to the predominantly Shia government.
The Revolutionary Guards is an elite force fiercely loyal to the tenets of the Islamic revolution of 1979.
Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri, in Tehran, the capital, said: "Just three weeks before [June's] presidential elections there was a big explosion in that area, where 25 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
"The head of Jundullah said that his group carried out the attack.
"The Iranian's say that they are carrying out a duel war against drug traffickers and Jundullah, which they claim is linked to al-Qaeda."
Moshiri said that there was no suggestion that the blast was linked to the recent disputed presidential elections.
"What is common in this area is kidnappings, explosions and clashes between Jundullah and Iranian authorities," she said.
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"But what is very interesting is that this meeting that was about to take place was with senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard. So this was potentially an extremely important meeting."
