TEHRAN – The Southeastern Regional Headquarters of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces announced that 52 members of a terrorist network involved in acts of sabotage were either killed or apprehended during a recent security operation in Khash County, located in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

It was noted that five of these individuals were members of a Zionist-linked terror cell, identified as foreign operatives involved in drone sabotage.

According to the statement issued by the Quds Regional Headquarters of the IRGC Ground Forces, the operation was part of a broader campaign to dismantle networks linked to foreign intelligence services, particularly the Zionist regime. The operation, which involved close coordination with Iranian security and intelligence units, was launched in the early hours of Tuesday after surveillance confirmed the presence of hostile elements in the region.

During the pursuit, a number of local civilians sustained injuries after failing to comply with security advisories issued by the forces on the ground.

The IRGC statement noted :"As part of our ongoing efforts to confront mercenary elements affiliated with the Zionist regime, five individuals—most of them foreign nationals with confirmed ties to Israeli intelligence services—were identified as participants in sabotage plots, including drone-based operations aimed at undermining Iran’s internal stability."

"Despite extensive on-the-ground efforts, these five individuals managed to flee and are currently at large. Efforts to locate and apprehend them are ongoing. Regrettably, several local residents were injured after disregarding repeated warnings from security personnel regarding the operational zone.”

This latest development comes amid the Islamic Republic’s intensified efforts to detect and dismantle espionage and sabotage cells operated by hostile foreign powers. 

Tehran maintains that these networks—often operating under the cover of media, NGOs, or ethnic affiliations—serve as tools of intelligence services hostile to the Islamic Republic, particularly those of the Zionist regime. The involvement of drone technology and infiltration tactics underscores the sophisticated nature of the threat.

Despite Iran’s legitimate security concerns, some Western media outlets and opposition-linked organizations have sought to distort the country’s counter-espionage campaign, portraying it as a crackdown on political opposition. Iranian officials strongly reject such narratives, stressing that the individuals targeted in these operations are armed operatives engaged in subversive and terrorist acts—not civil activists or peaceful critics.

The IRGC has once again called on citizens—especially residents in southeastern border areas—to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity through the official hotlines 110, 113, and 114.

The statement concludes: "National security is a collective responsibility that relies on the vigilance, cooperation, and trust between the people and the armed forces. The enemies of the Islamic Republic are deploying all available tools to destabilize our country. But with the unwavering support of the great Iranian nation, all such conspiracies will ultimately be defeated.”