Tehran, Oct 18 (DPA) An apparent suicide bomber killed and wounded dozens of members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, including some senior provincial commanders, in southeastern Iran Sunday, state media reported.
According to IRNA news agency, at least 60 guards were killed or wounded in the attack in Sistan-Beluchistan province near Pakistan.

Fars news agency reported that 40 to 50 guards might have been killed, but there was no official confirmation.

State television reported that 29 were killed and 28 wounded, including six commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and several tribal leaders.

The guards were reportedly on their way to a meeting of tribal leaders in Pishin when they were attacked.

State television reported on its website that a still-unidentified suicide bomber was responsible for the massacre.

It also named two of those killed as provincial commanders Mohammad Zadeh and Nourali Shoushtari.

Authorities speculated the attack was the work of a radical group involved in drug trafficking along the borders with neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The main rival bandit group in the region is Jundollah (Soldiers of God), which has been involved in frequent clashes with Iranian guards at the border lines to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Thirteen Jundollah members were executed last July in the provincial capital Zahedan. Abdol-Hamid Rigi, the brother of the group’s leader Abdolmalik Rigi, is on death row.

The Revolutionary Guards, in a statement, accused “elements linked to the global arrogance” - a reference to the US and Britain - of being behind the attack. The statement did not elaborate.

Also the parliament deputy for Zahedan, Payman Forouzesh, told state television that the “enemies of the revolution” planned to sow discord between Iran’s majority Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the southeast.