Iran accuses foreign involvement in fatal explosions

Iran on Tuesday accused "foreign hands" of being behind two bomb explosions earlier in the day in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"The explosions are in line with the blind moves orchestrated from beyond the borders. Since the incident occurred, enemy mouthpieces have become active and it is clear they have been expecting such an event," Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi was quoted as saying.

The bombings "will not hinder the progress of our nation; rather, after the event, our people will continue to proceed with a firmer determination," Pourmohammadi said.

On Tuesday morning, two bombs exploded respectively in front of a private bank and a government building in Ahvaz, capital of Khuzestan province bordering Iraq, killing eight people.

Khuzestan accounts for almost 90 percent of Iran's nearly 132 billion barrels of proven oil reserve and most of the country's two million ethnic Arabs live in the province plagued by tension between local government and Arab residents.

Tuesday's explosions are the third since last June in Ahvaz.

On June 12, 2005 three bombs exploded concurrently near public facilities, leaving eight people dead.

On October 15, 2005 two consecutive bomb blast in an computer shopping mall killed six and wounded more than 50.

Source: Xinhua