Iran general says Pakistan backs group behind suicide bomb

AFP  |  Tehran 

Iran's Guards accused "Pakistan's security forces" of supporting the perpetrators of a suicide bombing that killed 27 troops on Wednesday, in remarks state TV aired Saturday.

"If (the government) does not punish them, we will retaliate against this anti-force, and whatever sees will be the consequence of its support for them," he warned.

The general made the remarks in on Friday evening during a farewell ceremony held for those killed. Funerals are expected to follow on Saturday.

was formed in 2012 as a successor to the Sunni group (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency for a decade before it was severely weakened by the capture and execution of its leader by in 2010.

The Wednesday bombing targeted a busload of Revolutionary Guards in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which straddles the border with

The attack was one of the deadliest on Iranian security forces in recent years and came just days after held more than a week of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the US-backed shah.

The also blasted "the support that the region's reactionary states and the Emiratis" maintain for "conspiracies" that he said were ordered by and

"We will certainly follow retaliatory measures," he added, without elaborating.

Jafari's comments came ahead of a two-day visit by Saudi Arabia's to Pakistan, which is set to begin on Sunday.

Iran's Ayatollah has linked the prepetrators of the attack to "the spying agencies of some regional and trans-regional countries".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sat, February 16 2019. 16:00 IST