Six people have been killed in a double bomb attack in the restive southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, where a scheduled visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been cancelled at the last minute.

State television said a first bomb in Ahvaz - dominated by ethnic minority Arabs and capital of the oil-rich Khuzestan province - exploded in front of a privately-run bank, killing six people and injuring 15.

The second blast, in front of a government office for natural resources, injured nine people.

An aide to the president said: "President Ahmadinejad's visit to the province was cancelled yesterday (Monday) afternoon because of bad weather."

Situated close to the border with British-controlled southern Iraq, Ahvaz has been hit by a wave of deadly unrest over the past year, including riots in April 2005 and a string of car bombings prior to Iran's presidential election last June when Ahmadinejad scord a sweeping victory.
Home-made bombs

A police official told state television that "they are home-made bombs."
"A home-made bomb exploded inside a branch of the Saman bank, which is totally burned."

Another news report said: "Emergency workers are looking for the injured and the dead inside the bank."

In October, another double bombing in Ahvaz killed six people and wounded more than 100.

Britain blamed

Iran has in the past pointed the finger of blame at Britain for the unrest, accusing British forces based across the border in Iraq for backing ethnic Arab separatists.

In October, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the clerical regime had proof of British meddling.

"The information shows that Britain is seeking to create insecurity in our country by interfering in our internal affairs," Mottaki said at the time, also saying that the consequences "could be worrying for the British."

Britain has firmly rejected the allegations, part of a wider deterioration of relations between Tehran and London over suspected Iranian meddling in Iraq and the Islamic republic's disputed nuclear programme.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iranian firemen are seen inside a bank in Ahvaz where was a bomb explosion this morning, in Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006. (AP)