Death toll from Iran mosque attacks rises to 26

The death toll from twin suicide bombings at a Shiite mosque in heavily Sunni southeast Iran has risen to 26, a local lawmaker told IRNA news agency on Friday.

Hossein Ali Shahriari, parliamentarian from the city of Zahedan where the twin attacks occurred on Thursday, put the number of wounded at more than 300.

"This explosion has left 26 people killed and more than 300 wounded. The toll may increase further," Shahriari was quoted as saying by IRNA.

Among those killed were a members of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Iran's deputy Interior Minister in charge of security Ali Abdollahi said.

IRNA said the second attack was so strong that "body parts were scattered around the Grand Mosque."

The Sunni Muslim rebel group Jundollah said it was behind the attacks, telling Al Arabiya TV in an e-mail that it had carried them out in retaliation for Iran's execution in June of the group's leader, Abdolmalek Rigi.

Rigi was hanged after being convicted of carrying out other deadly attacks. Jundollah says it is fighting for the rights of Iran's Sunni Muslim minority.

The suicide bombings took place near Zahedan's Grand Mosque, and Jundollah said they were carried out by relatives of Rigi and were aimed at a Revolutionary Guards gathering.

The group said the suicide attacks were carried out by Abdolbaset Rigi and Mohammad Rigi ... and warned of more operations to come.

'US involved'

Predominantly Shiite Muslim Iran arrested Rigi in February, four months after Jundollah claimed responsibility for a bombing which killed dozens of people, including 15 members of the Guards. It was the deadliest attack in Iran since the 1980s.

Zahedan is the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province which shares a border with Pakistan. The province faces serious security problems and there are frequent clashes between police and drug dealers and bandits.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the "horrific" attacks and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms today's terrorist attacks claimed by Jundallah that targeted Iranians at a mosque in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran," Clinton said in a statement.

"The United States extends its sympathy to the families and loved ones of those injured and killed. We also call for the perpetrators of this horrific attack to be held accountable for their actions," she said.

Iran says Jundollah has links to Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda and in the past has accused Pakistan, Britain and the United States of backing Jundollah to create instability in southeast Iran.

All three countries have denied this, and Jundollah denies having any links with al-Qaeda.

"Confessions of Abdolmalek Rigi prove that America, Israel and some European countries are directly involved in the attacks," said Guards official Yadollah Javadi, Fars reported.

"The enemies of our country try to create conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis."

Iran is grappling with ethnic and religious tension in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, where authorities have responded to attacks by Sunni rebels with a spate of hangings. Rights groups and the West have condemned the hangings.

Iran rejects allegations by rights groups that it discriminates against ethnic and religious minorities.

condemn in the strongest possible terms today's terrorist attacks claimed by Jundallah that targeted Iranians at a mosque in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton