Saudi Arabia denies Iranian accusation of involvement in deadly attack on Revolutionary Guard

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has hit back at Iran for initially blaming the kingdom for last week's attack that killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard.

Adel al-Jubeir says the allegations by Iran, as a "chief sponsor of terrorism," sought to divert the attention of the Iranian people.

Iranian officials had at first said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were behind the attack but later said the attack was planned from "inside Pakistan" and demanded Islamabad take action against the perpetrators.

The militant Sunni group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) which claimed responsibility, is believed to operate from havens in Pakistan.

Jaish al-Adl was formed in 2012 out of the Jundallah (Soldiers of God) militia, which waged a deadly insurgency for a decade before it was severely weakened by the capture and execution of its leader Abdolmalek Rigi by Iran in 2010.

On Sunday, Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, assured his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, over the phone that Islamabad would fully cooperate in the investigation on the attack on Revolutionary Guard members. 

Islamabad has also pledged to act if Tehran shares evidence against those linked to the killing of Iranian guards.

Al-Jubeir spoke on Monday in Islamabad as part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's entourage.

The prince is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, which has close ties to the kingdom and often balances between Riyadh and Tehran.

From Islamabad, the Saudi crown prince will travel to India.