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Iran guards 'killed in clash' on Pakistan border Iran rebels 'hanged in reprisal for border deaths'
(35 minutes later)
Seventeen Iranian border guards have been killed in a clash with gunmen on the border with Pakistan, the official Iranian news agency Irna says. Sixteen rebels have been hanged in south-eastern Iran in retaliation for clashes in which 17 border guards were killed, say Iranian news agencies.
The clashes took place on Friday night in a mountainous region outside Saravan, a border town in the south-east province of Sistan Baluchistan. The rebels were "linked to groups hostile to the regime", the attorney general of Sistan-Baluchistan province was quoted as saying.
They were hanged in prison in Zahedan, north-east of Saravan, where the border deaths took place overnight.
The hanged rebels were not accused of carrying out the border killings.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, on Friday night in a mountainous region outside Saravan, on the border with Pakistan.
An armed Sunni group, called Jundallah, has carried out a number of attacks against the state in recent years.
The Sunni Muslim population in Sistan-Baluchestan complains of discrimination by Iran's Shia establishment.
"Sixteen rebels linked to groups hostile to the regime were hanged this morning in the prison of Zahedan in response to the death of border guards in Saravan," Mohammad Marzieh, the provincial attorney general of Sistan-Baluchestan province, was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
The hangings were also reported by the Iranian Students News Agency (Isna).
A number of guards were also wounded in the attack, reports said.A number of guards were also wounded in the attack, reports said.
An unnamed official quoted by Irna blamed "bandits or rebels opposed to the Islamic republic". An unnamed official earlier quoted by Irna blamed "bandits or rebels opposed to the Islamic republic", but Saravan's member of parliament, Hedayatollah Mirmoradzehi, said no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Fars has quoted the province's deputy governor-general, Rajabali Sheikhzadeh, as saying the culprits fled to Pakistan following the border attack.
The region has experienced frequent deadly clashes in recent years.
Iran lies on a major drug trafficking route between Afghanistan and Europe.Iran lies on a major drug trafficking route between Afghanistan and Europe.
The population in this Sunni Muslim area complains of discrimination by Iran's Shia establishment. An armed group, called Jundallah, has carried out a number of attacks against the state in recent years.
"We do not have exact details of the incident yet," Tasnim news agency quoted Saravan's member of parliament, Hedayatollah Mirmoradzehi, as saying.
"No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far."
"Since the venue of the operation is in a location that is geographically difficult of access, we have no exact information on whether any of the officers there were abducted or not," he added.
The region has experienced repeated deadly clashes over previous years.
AFP news agency quotes officials as saying more than 4,000 police officers and soldiers have been killed in the past three decades in fighting with traffickers.AFP news agency quotes officials as saying more than 4,000 police officers and soldiers have been killed in the past three decades in fighting with traffickers.