U.S. had 'sporadic' contact with Jundullah: report

After the U.S. vehemently denied having links to terrorists involved in a bombing attack in Iran, a former top army general in Pakistan and a former CIA case officer reveal more details about U.S. contacts with Jundullah.

Earlier in October, a number of top Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders and Shia and Sunni tribal leaders were killed in a suicide bombing in the borderline region of Pishin in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

The Pakistan-based Jundullah terrorist group, which is believed to be closely affiliated with the al Qaeda organization, claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Following the attack, which killed more than 40 people, Iranian officials accused certain foreign countries including the U.S., Britain, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia of supporting Jundullah.

The U.S., the UK and Pakistan were quick to reject the claim.

Shortly after the bombing, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly described claims of U.S. involvement in the attack as ""completely false.""

The official condemnations by foreign countries came while Jundullah group has not been designated as a terrorist organization, neither has it been place on a terrorism blacklists.

The group is generally described by Western countries as an ""opposition group"" or ""militant"" faction.

Meanwhile, former army chief of staff in Pakistan General Aslam Beg, speaking to The Associated Press, said that the border village of Mand has been used as a staging point for U.S. contacts with Jundullah.

""U.S. aid also was funneled into the region through the Pakistani ports of Kot Kalmat and Jiwani,"" he told AP.

In a separate article published by The Time, former Middle East case officer at the Central Intelligence Agency Robert Baer said the CIA had ""sporadic"" contact with Jundullah.

""American intelligence has also had contact with Jundullah. But that contact, as Iran almost certainly knows, was confined to intelligence-gathering on the country,"" wrote Baer.

In his article, the former CIA official also claimed that ""a relationship with Jundullah was never formalized, and contact was sporadic.""

Following the attack, Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar went on an official visit to Islamabad to discuss the recent deadly blast.

The two countries pledged cooperation to crack down on Jundullah and signed a security pact for a joint border-monitoring unit to prevent future such acts of terror.

(Source: Press TV)

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