TEHRAN- Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced on Tuesday that it has detained 13 members of a network connected to the Israeli Mossad “spy and terrorist” service.

23 members of operational and logistical component of the terrorist network have been identified and as of this date 13 members of the network who were inside Iran have been detained in the provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, West Azarbaijan, and Golestan, the ministry stated. 

It also said their different equipment have been seized.

The network's mastermind, under the moniker Sirous, resided in a European country and made touch with the operational agents in Iran using the social media platforms Instagram and WhatsApp, it said.

The terrorist network had plans to use the recent riots in some areas of Iran to assassinate a military official, carry out several acts of sabotage in major cities, and transfer massive amounts of explosives from the southern sea borders to Iran, the ministry explained.

The effective counter-espionage operation was termed by the ministry as the second significant blow dealt to the phony and fictitious Zionist regime in less than six months.