Car bomb kills 27

A SUICIDE car bomb attack that killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards will lead the Islamic Republic to wage an “unrelenting battle against terrorism,” Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri says.

The attack occurred in a southeast region of Iran where forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country’s Sunni Muslim minority.

The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which wants greater rights for ethnic minority Baluchis, reportedly took responsibility for Wednesday’s attack.

“This incident will not damage the resolute will of the people in defending the Islamic revolution and the national resolve for an unrelenting battle against terrorism will become more resolute than ever,” Mr Jahangiri said, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.

A suicide bomber driving a vehicle laden with explosives attacked a bus transporting members of the Guards on the road between the cities of Zahedan and Khash, near the Pakistan border.

The explosion was so powerful the bus was turned into a twisted pile of metal, a photo published on semi-official agency Fars showed.

While Jaish al Adl and other groups like it are not regarded as a major security threat, the attack is a fresh blow to the image of the Guards.

They are the most powerful force in Iran and report directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi vowed retaliation. “The self-sacrificing military and intelligence children of the people of Iran will take revenge for the blood of the martyrs of this incident,” he reportedly said.

REUTERS