Tehran, June 12, SPA -- At least eight people were killed and 36 others injured Sunday in four bomb explosions thattargeted government buildings and officials in southwesternIran, state-run television reported. At least four women were among those killed in theexplosions in Ahvaz, capital of the southwestern Khuzestanprovince which borders Iraq. The blasts were the deadliest explosions in Iran in morethan a decade. Gholamreza Shariati, deputy provincial governor forsecurity affairs, said perpetrators were seeking toundermine public participation in Friday's presidentialelections. Television footage showed heavily damaged buildings andblood on the ground. The force of the explosions alsodamaged many cars in the streets. Shariati said 36 people, including eight police officers,were injured. Following the first three blasts, experts had tried todefuse a fourth bomb but failed, and it exploded, injuringone of them. The explosions follow recent violent protests in Ahvazover alleged plans to alter the proportion of Arabs andnon-Arabs in the region, according to a report of the Associated Press.--SPA1348 Local Time 1048 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/269273