Iran Arrests Four Members Of Sunni Rebel Group

Washington, 12 August (WashingtonTV)-Iran said on Wednesday that it had arrested four members of a Sunni rebel group in the southeastern city of Zahedan.

Quoting an Intelligence Ministry statement, the official IRNA news agency reported that the four members of Jondollah had "planned to create divisions and discord between Sunnis and Shiites by bombing several locations" in the volatile Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

The statement said that "a large amount of explosive material and weapons" were found in the house and hiding place of the "terrorist team".

Jondollah, headed by Abdolmalek Rigi, has claimed responsibility for attacks against targets in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, home to a sizeable ethnic Baluchi population.

The group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a Shiite mosque in Zahedan in May, which killed 25 people.

The Intelligence Ministry said that the group's "affiliation with global arrogance becomes more clear every day."

Iranian leaders often refer to the United States and Western powers as "arrogant powers", and Tehran accuses Washington of backing Jondollah in order to create instability in the country, reports Reuters.

Iran hanged 13 members of the group in July for alleged killings and attacks in Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

Sources: IRNA, Reuters