Iran arrested Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of Sunni Muslim rebel group Jundollah, on Tuesday, state television reported.

'Rigi was arrested in eastern Iran,' a source told Arabic language al Alam television. It gave no further details.   

Jundollah, which accuses the government of discrimination against Sunnis, said it was behind an Oct 18 attack, the deadliest in Iran since the 1980s, that killed more than 40 Iranians, including 15 from the elite Revolutionary Guards.   

Shi'ite Iran has accused Pakistan, Britain and the United States of backing Sunni militants. London, Washington and Islamabad have all denied involvement in the attack.

Iran, a major oil producer locked in dispute with the United States and its allies over its nuclear programme, rejects allegations by Western rights groups that it discriminates against ethnic and religious minorities. - Reuters