The chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Monday accused the United States, Britain and Pakistan of having links with the Sunni militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed five senior Guard commanders and 37 others, Associated Press informs.

“Iran's president also said those behind Sunday's bombing are hiding across the border in Pakistan, and in a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Monday he demanded their arrest. A Sunni rebel group that has waged a low-level insurgency in Iran's southeast to protest what it says is the government's persecution of an ethnic minority there claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack.

The official IRNA news agency reports Jafari saying the group has links with American, British and Pakistani intelligence and operates under their support and orders.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had harsh words for his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, &‘The presence of terrorist elements in Pakistan is not justifiable and the Pakistani government needs to help arrest and punish the criminals as soon as possible,’ state TV quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Zardari Monday,” AP says.

However, Zardari said “both Pakistan and Iran have deep historical ties and he assured that Pakistan will continue to support and cooperate with Iran in curbing militancy and fighting extremism and terrorism,” the article concludes.