Three men hanged in Iran for mosque bombing

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian authorities hanged three men convicted for their involvement in a bombing of a Shia mosque, Iran's IRNA news agency reported Saturday.

The Thursday evening blast occurred in the southeastern Sistan-Balochistan province at a mosque in during prayers to commemorate the seventh century death of Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Mohammed.

Reports on the number of casualties varied in Iranian reports. Some local agencies said more than 20 people were killed and 125 were wounded in the bombing.

The suspects were arrested and being questioned on Friday.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a hard-line cleric, said there were signs that the United States and Israel were involved in the mosque bombing, IRNA reported.

The United States denied the allegations.

"The U.S. strongly condemns all forms of terrorism. We do not sponsor any form of terrorism in Iran. And we continue to work with the international community to try to prevent any attacks against innocent civilians anywhere," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters in a Friday afternoon briefing.

Sistan-Balochistan province -- which shares a border with Pakistan -- is the site of frequent clashes involving Iranian police, drug dealers and armed groups. The province is located on a major narcotics-smuggling route between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Source: CNN.com, May 30, 2009

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