Suicide bomb kills at least 33, injures 83 in Iran (2nd Roundup)

Dec 15, 2010, 16:03 GMT

Tehran - At least 33 people were killed and 83 injured Wednesday in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Iran's south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, a district governor told ISNA news agency.

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.

Ali Batani, the governor of Chabahar city, said the number of victims had risen to 33 and that 83 people were injured and hospitalized. He did not rule out further casualties, as some of those injured were in critical condition.

Meanwhile, a local medical examiner told official news agency IRNA that 38 bodies, including a newly born baby, were transferred to the coroner's office, and that another person died in hospital due to his critical injuries.

The Interior Ministry has not yet confirmed the coroner office's death toll of 39.

Unconfirmed reports coming earlier from Iranian Red Crescent sources had also put the death toll at 38.

Sistan-Baluchistan governor Ali Mohammad Azad told the news network Khabar that all the injured had already been transferred to nearby hospitals.

There are, however, several different and contradictory versions on the number of explosions and terrorist.

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

Chabahar's governor, however, said the second terrorist was arrested before he could set off his bomb and that there was only one explosion.

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

Ali Abdollahi told 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.

IRNA quoted informed intelligence service officials as saying that another terrorist involved in the bombing was arrested when he tried to leave the country. IRNA gave no details about the border point at which the man was arrested.

As it has done 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 of being 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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