TEHRAN -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei here on Sunday expressed his deep sorrow over the assassination attempt on the life of one of the Iraqi religious leaders, Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Saeed Hakim in the holy city of Najaf.

In a message to Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SAIRI) Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Baqer Hakim, Leader reiterated that those responsible for the bloody incident move in line with the heinous policies, the aim of which is to weaken the Najaf Theological Seminary and to threaten the Muslim ulema, IRNA reported.

Such criminal measures can be used as a pretext for the occupying forces in Iraq in order to impose their suppressive policies on the defenseless people of Iraq and would lead to insecurity in the war-torn country in a period of time when the Iraqi people are in dire need of unity and solidarity, Leader's message added.

Ayatollah Khamenei further expressed the hope that the Iraqi people will defuse the plots hatched by the enemies of Islam and hoist the flag of Islam, independence and freedom in their country.

Three people died and Ayatollah Mohammad Saeed Hakim, an uncle of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Hakim, was injured in the assassination attempt on Sunday.

"Two bodyguards and one staffer of his office were killed in the explosion caused by a bomb inside a gas canister. The canister had been placed outside the Ayatollah's office and a suspicious man was waiting for Hakim to come back from the mosque," his son Ryaz Hakim said.

He said that the bomb went off as soon as Hakim came back from the Imam Ali (AS) Mosque and entered his office. He added that 10 passers by were also wounded in the blast.