Tehran, Sep 22 (DPA) A bomb exploded Wednesday during a military parade in north-western Iran, killing at least nine people, state media reported.

The bombing in the city of Mahabad in Azerbaijan province injured several civilians who had to be hospitalised, the provincial governor said.

The soldiers at the parade were not injured, said Governor Vahid Jalalzadeh, who accused ‘counter-revolutionaries’ of being behind the explosion.

Military parades were held throughout the country Wednesday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 war with Iraq, which Iran calls the ‘sacred defence’.