TEHRAN – Eight more people have been arrested in Alborz Province in connection with the recent terrorist attacks targeting two important sites in Tehran, a provincial official said.

Ahmad Fazelian, a provincial judiciary official, said on Saturday that the eight were arrested on suspicion of having provided backup for the five terrorists who carried out the assaults on Wednesday.

According to Fazelian, seven of the individuals were arrested in Fardis, in southern Alborz, and one in Karaj, the provincial capital.

On Wednesday morning, Iran’s parliament and the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Revolution, were targeted by two simultaneous gun and suicide bomb assaults. Intelligence officials later stated that they thwarted a third attack.

The attacks unfolded as a number of gunmen stormed the main gate of the parliament building in central Tehran and opened fire. At the same time, a shooting spree targeted Imam Khomeini’s shrine in south Tehran.

At least 17 people lost their lives and nearly 50 others were wounded in the assaults which were later claimed by Daesh (ISIS). All the five attackers were gunned down at the scene by the country’s security forces.

Since the attacks took place, Iran’s intelligence and security forces have stepped up their activities, identifying and arresting a number of suspects and foiling potential terrorist threats.

On Friday, authorities announced the arrests of 41 elements of Daesh in connection with the twin attacks. The terrorists were detained in the province of Kermanshah, Kurdestan, West Azarbaijan and Tehran.

According to the Intelligence Ministry, during the operations, large amounts of weapons, bomb-making materials, explosive belts, communication equipment, and forged documents were also found.

Separately, the head of the Fars judiciary province said on Saturday that seven people were detained in the southern Larestan area for possible ties to Daesh.

MH/PA