At least 41 people, including senior military officers and tribal leaders, were martyred when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a meeting of the elite Revolutionary Guards in southeastern Iran on Sunday, the interior ministry said.

“Based on the information… as a result of today’s terrorist action… so far 41 people have been martyred and 28 have been wounded,” the ministry said on its website.

“The martyrs include several innocent Shiite and Sunni people, tribal chiefs and commanders of Guards (including senior officers in the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps including deputy chief of the ground forces Brigadier General Nour Ali Shushtari). Very soon we will catch the perpetrators of this terrorist action and punish them.”

The explosion took place in the city of Pisheen in the south eastern province of Sistan-Bluchestan near the border with Pakistan and at least 41 people were martyred.

The strike took place when officers from the Guards were preparing to stage a meeting between local leaders of Shiite and Sunni communities.

Some local tribal heads and several senior officers of the Guards were among the slain.
“In this terrorist act, General Nur-Ali Shushtari, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards ground forces, General Mohammad-Zadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Sistan-Baluchestan province, the Guards’ commander for the town of Iranshahr and the commander of the Amir al-Momenin unit died,” the Fars news agency reported.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed to strike back at the “criminals” behind a suicide bombing that targeted the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard, the official IRNA news agency reported.

“The criminals will soon get the response for their anti-human crimes,” IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. The Iranian leader also accused unspecified foreigners of involvement.

Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani confirmed the officers’ death in an announcement to parliament which was broadcast on television.
Larijani said the United States was implicated in Sunday’s bomb attack.
“We consider the recent terrorist attack to be the result of US action. This is a sign of America’s animosity against our country,” Larijani said.
“Mr. Obama has said he will extend his hand towards Iran, but with this terrorist action he has burned his hand,” he added, referring to US President Barack Obama.

Iran has previously accused shadowy group Jundallah (Soldiers of God) of launching regular attacks in the province, which borders both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

US CONDEMNS BOMBING, DENIES INVOLVEMENT

Meanwhile, the United States condemned the suicide bombing that struck Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, and denied any involvement in the attack.

“We condemn this act of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives,” State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.