Source: Press TV

The Jundullah terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a deadly Monday suicide attack that rocked a southeastern city in Iran. A suicide bomber carrying explosives tried to enter a police station in the city of Saravan in Sistan-Baluchestan Province on Monday. The bomber, however, failed to enter the building and was killed in the explosion.

Saravan is a city in Iran located in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, in the Iranian Balochistan with a population of 150,000, close to the international border of Pakistan. Sistan o Baluchestan is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the southeast of the country, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan and its capital is Zahedan. The province is the largest in Iran, with an area of 181,785 km² and a population of 4.1 million.

Four people have reportedly been killed in the attack among two of whom were police officers. Nearly 20 others were wounded.

The city of Saravan has become a hotbed of terrorist activities by the Jundullah cell.

Earlier in June, sixteen Iranian police officers were abducted by Jundullah (Soldiers of God) terrorists at a checkpoint in Saravan.

The armed insurgents threatened that if the Islamic Republic refuses to release its 200 members from Iranian prisons, they would kill the hostages.

After Iran refused to meet the terrorist cell's demands, the group announced on Dec. 3 that it had killed all the 16 abducted Iranian officers.

A report on the Arabic Nahrainnet website later revealed that Saudi Arabian intelligence agencies were behind the abduction of the Iranian police officers.

The report, citing informed sources in Pakistan's Peshawar, claimed that Saudi Arabia and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have been using the "proxy army" to destabilize the government in Iran.

ABC News, in 2007, cited US and Pakistani intelligence sources that the group, which "has taken responsibility for the deaths and kidnappings of Iranian soldiers and officials", "has been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials."

In another report in July, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed that US Congressional leaders secretly agreed last year to President George W. Bush's $400-million funding request for a major escalation in covert operations in Iran.

Under the ruling, the US can arm and fund terrorist groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and Jundullah militants.

The group's ringleader Abdolmalek Rigi describes his terrorist cell as a 'national movement' and denies any links to Washington.

... Payvand News - 12/29/08 ... --