TEHRAN – In separate reports issued on Sunday, police announced that 26 ringleaders of the recent riots have been arrested in Najafabad, a city in Isfahan province, and 25 in the western province of Kurdistan.

The police have managed to identify 26 ringleaders and main culprits behind the riots after a series of sophisticated moves and arrested them in separated operations, Najafabad police chief Mohammad Hossein Babakalani said, according to Fars.

Babakalani said the suspects have confessed to damaging and setting fire to public properties and inciting people to disrupt the public order. 

He added that the arrested individuals have been handed over to the judiciary.

General Ali Azadi, commander of the Kurdistan police force, also said 25 persons who were the main leaders of riots were arrested in the cities of Marivan and Sanandaj. Three guns and some white arms were confiscated from those arrested, Azadi explained.

The news came a day after the Intelligence Ministry said it had arrested those who implemented the Iran International TV’s order to set fire to public and private property in different Iranian provinces.

In a statement, the ministry said the individuals were identified and arrested while trying to set fire to public and private property in order to intensify the unrest.

Protests erupted in some cities in Iran against increasing gasoline price. In certain cases, the protests turned violent as some rioters clashed with police, using knives and guns.

Rioters damaged public and private property and put banks and state buildings on fire.

MH/PA