Sunday, June 12 2005 17:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tehran: At least eight people were killed and 36 others injured today (Jun 12, 2005) in four bomb explosions that targeted Government buildings and officials in southwestern Iran, State-run television reported.

At least four women were among those killed in the explosions in Ahvaz, capital of the southwestern Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq.

The blasts were the deadliest explosions in Iran in more than a decade.

Gholamreza Shariati, deputy provincial governor for security affairs, said perpetrators were seeking to undermine public participation in presidential elections.

Television footage showed heavily damaged buildings and blood on the ground. The force of the explosions also damaged many cars in the streets.

Shariati said 36 people, including eight police officers, were injured.

Following the first three blasts, experts had tried to defuse a fourth bomb but failed, and it exploded, injuring one of them.

The explosions follow recent violent protests in Ahvaz over alleged plans to alter the proportion of Arabs and non-Arabs in the region.

Amir Hossein Motahar, director of security at the Interior Ministry, said one bomb went off in front of the Ahvaz governor's office and another next to the city's housing department. The third bomb blew up in front of the residence of the head of the provincial radio and television station, he said. The fourth bomb, which experts failed to defuse, was placed near the same residence.