Security forces kill 13 terrorists in southeast
At least 13 terrorists were killed and several others were arrested on Wednesday in separate operations by Iran’s security forces in southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
According to a statement by Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), some of those killed were suspected of being behind an ambush reported on Friday that killed five policemen in the city of Iranshahr. The so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorists group claimed responsibility for the August 22 ambush.
Iranshahr is one of three cities, alongside Khash and Saravan, where the IRGC said security operations were carried out.
"During the operations, unfortunately, one IRGC member was martyred and another was injured," IRGC commander Hassan Mortazavi was quoted as saying by state TV.
Mortazavi added that a "kidnapped citizen was released and returned to their family".
Eight out of 13 terrorists, responsible for the August 22 attack, were killed by the security forces in Iranshahr.
Police spokesman General Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi said that servicemen from the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA), together with intelligence and security units, carried out a successful operation against the terrorists in the city and eliminated all of them.
According to Montazer al-Mahdi, a considerable number of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the slain terrorists.
Sistan and Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been a flashpoint for clashes between security forces and terrorist groups.
On Saturday, Iranian forces killed six terrorists in another raid in the province, saying they were members of a group linked to Israel.
The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi in a phone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Field Marshal Asim Munir on Tuesday said that Tehran is ready to cooperate with Islamabad to eradicate terrorism and secure the two countries common border.
“Unfortunately, the movements of terrorist groups on both sides of the border have increased, and we are ready to cooperate to eradicate terrorism in this region and secure the common borders,” Mousavi said.
Munir, for his part, expressed complete agreement on the issue of border security, emphasizing the necessity of transforming the Pakistan-Iran border into one defined by friendship, brotherhood, and economic development.