TEHRAN – Iran’s Islamic Republican Guards Guards (IRGC) has seized a large amount of anti-security goods from “counter-revolutionary groups” (a term used by the military to refer to anti-Iranian elements financed by Israel or Western countries).
The cargo was seized by ground forces of the Revolutionary Guards while being smuggled into Iran across the border area of Urmia city in northwestern West Azerbaijan province.
The Revolutionary Guards said the shipment contained large quantities of explosives, weapons and ammunition, which the terrorists intended to smuggle into the country’s center and use for inciting unrest.
This comes after the Revolutionary Guards recently dismantled terrorist teams in Sistan and Baluchestan provinces in southeastern Iran.
The Revolutionary Guards Ground Forces’ Quds Base announced in a statement that several members of a terrorist organization affiliated with the Ansar al-Shaitan terrorist organization were identified and arrested as a result of intelligence operations. The statement added that two suicide vests were also seized from the terrorists.
Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan, has seen frequent terrorist attacks targeting both civilians and security forces in recent years.
Terrorist groups carrying out attacks against Iranian interests in the country’s southeast and southwest are believed to have ties to foreign intelligence services.
On October 26 last year, ten members of Iranian law enforcement forces lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the Gohar Khu area of Taftan County.
The so-called Jaish al-Adl terror group was responsible for the attack, which was recorded as one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.
The group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks across Iran, mainly focusing on Sistan and Baluchestan provinces. Its methods include abductions of border patrol agents and attacks on civilians and police stations with the aim of stirring up chaos and insecurity.
Significant efforts have been made to activate terrorist elements along Iran’s western border, but so far most have failed. Iran is increasing cooperation with Pakistan’s intelligence services and military to curb terrorism on the Eastern Front.