TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it has targeted positions of terrorist groups across the country’s northwestern borders.

“The forces of the Guards’ Ground Force targeted this morning the positions of anti-Revolution terrorist groups across the country’s northwestern borders, and inflicted heavy losses on the anti-Revolution elements,” the statement read, according to Mashregh news.

“As it has repeatedly been declared, maintaining national security, peace and comfort of the Iranian nation, especially the people living in border provinces, is the red line of the country’s Armed Forces, especially the Guards’ Ground Force,” it added.

It came after three Iranian border guards were martyred and two others were injured on Friday during a clash with terrorists in Iran’s northwest region, according to a report by Iran’s police.

The incident took place in the district of Targavar in West Azarbaijan Province, ILNA reported.

According to the report, the attack also caused major losses to the anti-Islamic Republic elements.

“With the dispatch of backup forces to the area and the border guards’ resistance as well as their courage and self-sacrifice, the attack by the terrorists was repelled and their penetration into the holy land of the Islamic Republic was prevented,” the report said.

Due to its borders with Iraq and Turkey, Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province has been witnessing numerous clashes with elements of PJAK, which is closely affiliated to the PKK terrorist group.

Forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) regularly engage in clashes with terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Iranian borders in order to carry out acts of sabotage across the country.

The IRGC forces recently destroyed a team of terrorists in the vicinity of northwestern Iranian city of Maku in West Azarbaijan Province.

Back in May, the IRGC Ground Force in an operation destroyed a foreign-backed anti-Revolution terrorist team in the western province of Kordestan.

According to the public relations department of the IRGC’s Hamze Sayyid al-Shohada Base, its servicemen clashed with an eight-member anti-Revolution team in Marivan, Kordestan province, killing two terrorists and wounding four others.

Earlier in May, the base had been engaged in an armed clash with the terrorists near Divandareh, during which an IRGC serviceman was martyred.

In the same month, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry forces identified and smashed two terrorist cells affiliated with “separatist” groups who had crossed the western border in the provinces of West Azarbaijan and Kordestan.

The forces arrested 16 members of the terrorist teams and confiscated 2 AK-47 rifles, 1 handgun, 2 grenades, and some ammunition.

MH/PA