Clashes Reported In Iranian City

BBC ^ | 2-16-2007

[blam]

Clashes reported in Iranian city

Clashes between armed militants and police have erupted in the south-eastern Iranian city of Zahedan, state media have reported.

Police sealed off the area and exchanged fire with the attackers after a bomb went off, Irna news agency quoted an unnamed official as saying.

It comes two days after a car bomb in Zahedan killed 11 Revolutionary Guards.

A hardline Sunni group, Jundallah, said it carried out Wednesday's attack.

Iranian officials have accused Britain and the United States of supporting ethnic minority rebels operating in the Islamic republic's sensitive border areas.

'Percussion bomb'

The explosion and clashes took place just hours after the funerals for the 11 Revolutionary Guards.

The governor of Zahedan, Hassan ali Nouri, told Fars news agency that the explosion was caused by a percussion bomb - a device which produces a large bang but causes little damage.

Wednesday's attack destroyed a bus carrying Revolutionary Guards

Provincial police commander Gen Mohammad Ghaffari told Fars that 68 people had been arrested over Wednesday's bombing, including three who are suspected of having carried out the attack.

"The gang has been ordered by some foreign states to plant bombs in specific places and escape the country simultaneously," Gen Ghaffari said.

He added that police had found a number of weapons and explosives in a house "where members of the terrorist group Jundallah were getting prepared for another operation".

Zahedan is the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It has a substantial Sunni Islam Baluch community.

The city has been the focus of low-level unrest, with several security force members being killed in the last two months.

Police have sometimes clashed with gangs transporting opium from Afghanistan.

[samadams2000]

I hope no civilized human beings were hurt.

[xmission]

ranian officials have accused Britain and the United States of supporting ethnic minority rebels operating in the Islamic republic's sensitive border areas.

Oh please let it be true!

[Williams]

wanna play with some fire, strawman?

[RightWhale]

Iranian officials have accused Britain and the United States of supporting ethnic minority rebels

That is just as ludicrous as Iran supporting the Shi'ite thug army.

[demsux]

I hope we are behind this!

[John Jorsett]

Iranian officials have accused Britain and the United States of supporting ethnic minority rebels operating in the Islamic republic's sensitive border areas.

We can only hope ...

[SolidWood]

I don't have any particular sympathy for Sunni Baluchis, but as long as they give the Iranian Regime hell and continue to kill the "elite" revolutionary guards, I will root for the Baluchis. Now if the Kurds and Arabs in Iran, and all other political and ethnic groups which are being opressed, stand up and fight, the days of the Mullahs might be over sooner than we thought.

[Brilliant]

If Congress so much as suspects that Bush is behind this, they'll impeach him in a second.

[NormsRevenge]

Boy, that Pakistan sure is a hotbed "terrorists" on both sides.

One man's freedomfighter is another's terrorist.

May the best men win. (No offense intended to women)

[COBOL2Java]

I hope no civilized human beings were hurt.

No worries, they were probably all Muslim...

[demsux]

I wasn't talking about Bush...I meant Rove

[Cold Heat]

The media is totally ignoring everything but anti-Bush rants and actions.

There is a lot of good war news that has been buried by the presstitutes.

[xmission]

Yep, wouldn't want anything to happen in Uncle Sam's best interest.

[NickatNite2003]

We wouldn't be giving them percussion
bombs, nor telling them to blow up
schools.

[Dog]

"The gang has been ordered by some foreign states to plant bombs in specific places and escape the country simultaneously,"

Wonder who?

[RightWhale]

Pakistan is my guess.

[Bringbackthedraft]

Not to jump to conclusions, but, if the economy is failing and the Mullahs feel threatened, this could be a "Reichstag" move on their part.

[xmission]

You may have to enlighten me... Generate support by feigning attack?

[b4its2late]

Iranian officials have accused Britain and the United States of supporting ethnic minority rebels operating in the Islamic republic's sensitive border areas.

Tehehehehehehhe.........

[Bringbackthedraft]

"Generate support by feigning attack?" ............. Think Poland Aug 1939, the raid on the German radio station by the Polish Army (not). It worked well for the nazis, they declared war against Poland for the phoney incident. In Iran we are dealing with people (religious leaders yet)who will kill their own women and children to accomplish their ends. Create an enemy that causes damage to your country and you not only unite the people you control them. "Naturally the common people don't want war. But, after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do it tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. I works the same in every country." .......This from one of the experts on the mater. Herman Whihelm Goering at the Nuremberg Trials.

[Capt. Tom]

I hope we are behind this!

Don't dount on it. We have people at top levels of our Govt. who don't know the difference between a Shiite and a Sunni.- tom

[FightThePower!]

Please, Please, Please let the CIA be behind this!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Congress has some too...

[xmission]

Thanks.