the details added (the first version posted at 13:47)
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 4
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran has confirmed the release of border guards who were kidnapped by an Islamist group late February.
An Iranian Intelligence Ministry source told the country's Fars News Agency that Jaish al-Adl handed over the abducted guards to Iranian officials. The handover took place inside Pakistani territory.
The report failed to mention the number of guards released, but five border guards were initially kidnapped on Feb. 6 in the Jakigour region of the Iran's south eastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan which borders with Pakistan. The guards were transferred to Pakistani territory.
Iran's Tasnim News Agency quoted Esmail Kousari, member of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, as saying that four border guards and the body of the killed guard have been handed over to Iranian officials in Pakistan.
On March 23, Jaish al-Adl tweeted that it has hanged Jamshid Danayeefar, one of the five kidnapped guards. The information was later confirmed.
According to the Iranian media outlets in exchange for the border guards, Jaish al-Adl asked Iran to release 50 members of its group, 200 other Sunni prisoners being held in Iran and 50 female Sunni prisoners in Syria.