Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 4
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran’s intelligence forces have dismantled an armed “terror team” in western city of Piranshahr, Islamic Republic’s Intelligence Ministry said in a statement Jan. 4.
The team had entered the country with the aim of staging explosions, killing innocent people, and pushing forward the recent unrests, the ministry said.
In a clash with the terror team, three members of Iran’s intelligence forces were killed, the statement said.
“One of the terrorists was arrested and a number of them were injured in the clash,” the ministry said.
The intelligence forces seized five AK-47 machine guns, four grenades, military uniforms and equipment as well as notebooks containing the guidelines for creating insecurity and unrest.
In recent days, three terror teams have been arrested in western Iran, the ministry added.
At least 21 people have been killed during the ongoing protests in Iran, which began last week as protests against economic hardship and corruption grew into political rallies.
Some Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accuse foreigners and Iran’s enemies of fomenting the unrest.
Only in capital city of Tehran, at least 450 people have been arrested in recent days, according to Ali-Asghar Naserbakht, deputy governor of Tehran.
Following the one-week protests, pro-government rallies are held since yesterday in several Iranian cities.
On Jan. 4, Iran’s Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi expressed his gratitude to the people of the country, the Basij para-military forces, and the law enforcement force for their efforts to put an end to the recent unrest in the country.