Killing of commanders: Iran says evidence of Pak,US,Britain link

The chief of Irans Revolutionary Guard on Monday accused the US,Britain and Pakistan of having links with the Sunni militants...

The chief of Irans Revolutionary Guard on Monday accused the US,Britain and Pakistan of having links with the Sunni militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed five senior Guard commanders and 37 others. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said those behind Sundays bombing are hiding across the border in Pakistan,and in a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Monday he demanded their arrest.

A Sunni rebel group that has waged a low-level insurgency in southeastern Iran to protest what it says is government persecution of an ethnic minority in the region claimed responsibility for the attack. Jundallah,or Soldiers of God,has carried out sporadic kidnappings and attacks in recent years including targeting the Revolutionary Guard and Shiite civilians.

Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said on Monday that Jundallah is at work to disrupt security in Iran and he vowed to deliver a crushing response. New evidence has been obtained proving the link between yesterdays terrorist attack and the US,British and Pakistani intelligence services, state TV quoted Jafari as saying. Evidence shows that US,British and Pakistani intelligence supported the group. He said the attack was undoubtedly planned and ordered by the three nations intelligence services and that a delegation would soon travel to Pakistan to present evidence.

Iran has also claimed that Jundallah receives support from al-Qaida and Taliban militants that operate across the border in Pakistans Baluchistan province.

President Ahmadinejad had harsh words for his Pakistani counterpart,Asif Ali Zardari. The presence of terrorist elements in Pakistan is not justifiable and the Pakistani government needs to help arrest and punish the criminals as soon as possible, state TV quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Zardari Monday. Weve heard that some officers in Pakistan cooperate with the main elements behind such terrorist attacks and we consider it our right to demand these criminals from them.

Zardari telephoned Ahmadinejad to strongly condemn the suicide attack,said a statement from the Pakistani Presidents office. Zardari said the incident was gruesome and barbaric and bore the signatures of a cowardly enemy on the run.