Iranian state media say Iran has hanged 13 members of the Sunni militant group Jundallah (God's Soldiers) after branding the men as "terrorists."
A report Tuesday said the executions took place in a prison in the
southeastern city of Zahedan, which is in Sistan-Baluchistan province.
Iran's official news agencysays the men were accused of a series of crimes, including kidnappings, killings and bombings for Jundallah.
Iranian officials called the men "mohareb" (enemies of God), a charge that carries the death penalty.
Abdolhamid Rigi, the brother of Jundallah's leader, was among those scheduled to be hanged. However, Iran says it has postponed his execution until later this week.
Iran's state-run radio quotes a Sistan-Baluchistan official as
saying Rigi's execution was postponed at the request of intelligence
and security officials who are seeking more information about a
Jundallah case.
Meanwhile, Iranian news agencies say officials have released the names of the men who were hanged.
Analysts say the hangings could fuel further unrest in the tense
province of Sistan-Baluchistan. The mostly Sunni Muslim enclave borders
Pakistan and Afghanistan and has an active separatist movement.
Iranian officials have accused Jundallah of having links to the Sunni
al-Qaida terror network. Jundallah says it is fighting for the rights
of Iran's Sunni minority.
In May, the group claimed responsibility for a Shi'ite mosque bombing in Zahedan that killed 25 people.