Suicide bomb kills 30, injures 55 at Iran mosque (Roundup)

Dec 15, 2010, 12:15 GMT

Tehran - Thirty people were killed and 55 injured Wednesday in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Iran's south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the provincial governor said.

The attack occurred at the Iman Hussein mosque in Chabahar city where worshippers were attending the Ashura ceremony, the anniversary of the death of Hussein, the third Shiite imam.

Unconfirmed reports coming from Iranian Red Crescent sources, the death toll was at 38.

Governor Ali Mohammad Azad told the news network Khabar that all the injured had already been transferred to nearby hospitals.

The governor also said that after the first bomber died in the blast, a second attacker was killed before he could detonate his explosives.

Ali Batani, the governor of Chabahar city said the second terrorist was arrested he could set off his bomb.

The deputy interior minister for security affairs gave a third version of events.

Ali Abdollahi told official news agency IRNA that the second bomb did go off, but did not cause any damage as the bomber had already been shot by the police.

The Fars news agency offered another version, saying that four terrorists were involved, two were killed by their own bombs, one was shot dead by police and a fourth was arrested.

Fars did not mention the source of its information.

As it has previously, Iran pointed the finger at the United States and Britain, but did not substantiate the allegations.

Abdollahi said that the terrorists were supported by US intelligence services, Iranian lawmaker Aleddin Boroujerdi accused the US and Britain to be behind the attack.

Sistan-Baluchistan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been a target of terrorist attacks in the past, mainly by the Jundollah group, which claims to be fighting for the rights of Iran's Sunni minority.

The government has accused Jundollah of involvement in drug-trafficking, kidnapping and bombings in Sistan-Baluchistan.

Tehran also accuses the organization of sowing discord between the Shiite majority and the Sunnis.

Jundollah leader Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged in June in a Tehran prison.

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