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Iran - suicide bombing
Three arrested over Revolutionary Guards attack
Article published on the 2009-10-20 Latest update 2009-10-20 12:27 TU
A Revolutionary Guards member stands in front of the ground forces headquarters in Tehran on Tuesday
(Photo: Reuters)
Three Iranians have been arrested over Sunday's deadly bomb attack on the elite Revolutionary Guards. A prosecutor in the south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, where the attack took place, said authorities were yet to arrest a fourth man who accompanied the suicide bomber.
"Due to security reasons, I am not giving the details of their names, but these terrorists are Iranians, but the person who accompanied the suicide bomber has not been arrested," prosecutor Mohammad Marziah told Fars news agency.
He said the three were arrested in a city in the province and further investigation is continuing.
Officials said 42 people died in the blast in the town of Pisheen in Sistan-Baluchestan, a hotbed of Sunni insurgency against Tehran's Shiite rule. Iran's state television on reported that 15 members of the Guards were dead, up from a previous figure of seven.
Iran ramped up pressure on Pakistan Tuesday, saying the group accused of launching the attack is based on its territory. This charge is strongly denied by Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that members of the accused group regularly criss-cross the frontier between Pakistan and Iran. But he did not name the group directly.
The shadowy Jundallah (Soldiers of God), a rebel Sunni group has claimed the bombing.
Meanwhile France said Tuesday it was participating in nuclear talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna. This is despite Tehran saying it did not want France to be part of any deal on uranium enrichment.
"It is a meeting of experts, in which we are participating," said foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero. "The discussions are continuing."
The start of the second day of talks was delayed after Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Tehran that France was not needed at the discussions, which also involve Russia and the United States.
