DUBAI — Iran asked neighboring Pakistan on Saturday to crack down on militants who killed 27 of its Revolutionary Guards in an attack near the border or expect military action by Tehran “to punish the terrorists”, state media reported.

Revolutionary Guards commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari also warned Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that they could face “retaliatory measures”.

“If Pakistan does not carry out its responsibilities, Iran reserves the right to confront threats on its borders ... based on international law and will retaliate to punish the terrorists,” Jafari was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

A suicide car bomber killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by disgruntled residents.

The troops killed in the bombing belonged to the Guards’ 14th Imam Hussein Division based in Isfahan province, according to Tasnim news agency.

The assault came as the troops were returning from a border patrol mission on a personnel bus near Zahedan.

Of the 13 wounded in the attack two are in the intensive care unit of an Isfahan hospital. — Agencies