TEHRAN - General Ahmad Ali Goodarzi, the border commander of the police force, has reported a recent clash with a terrorist group attempting to infiltrate the country for sabotage purposes.

General Goodarzi revealed that significant amounts of explosive materials were seized from the terrorists during the encounter.

"The border guards of the Nehbandan border regiment, through their vigilance and adept use of intelligence along the borders of South Khorasan Province, intercepted a terrorist group's intent to enter the country and carry out destructive activities," he stated. 

He further emphasized that the courageous border guards remained vigilant and successfully secured the identified areas, engaging in an armed conflict with the terrorist group, ultimately dealing a decisive blow and thwarting their entry into the country.

General Goodarzi added that during the operation, several members of the terrorist group sustained injuries and fled to the territory of a neighboring country. 

He noted the discovery of significant quantities of explosive equipment, including war mines, TM metal mines, remote control transmitters and receivers, war ammunition, night vision cameras, and other related items, which were confiscated from the apprehended group. 

Back in February 17, the police spokesperson General Montazer-al-Mahdi announced the arrest of two individuals suspected of terrorist activities in the northern province of Golestan.

The operation, carried out through a combination of technical expertise and intelligence gathering, thwarted potential acts of sabotage planned by these terrorists, General Montazer-al-Mahdi stated.

The suspects, identified as a man and a woman, were swiftly apprehended by security forces. Upon their arrest, police discovered that the suspects owned explosive materials.

General Montazer-al-Mahdi confirmed that legal proceedings against the suspects are underway, with plans to hand them over to judicial authorities for further investigation and trial.

Also in February 16, the police spokesman disclosed the arrest of two terrorists in southern Iran, highlighting the operation's execution through meticulous technical and intelligence monitoring.

The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran, formerly known as the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran or Disciplinary Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, commonly abbreviated as Faraja, spearheaded the operation. 

General Montazer-al-Mahdi emphasized that the apprehension of these two terrorists occurred promptly in a city within Sistan and Baluchestan province, facilitated by swift and decisive action.

Furthermore, the general stated that a firearm and various equipment were seized from these two terrorists.

General Montazer-al-Mahdi concluded by affirming that four terrorists associated with the terrorist group responsible for the Rask attack had been previously arrested.

Back in late December, Iran's police chief announced that the country would target terrorists “wherever” it sees fit after 11 police forces were killed in a terrorist attack in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan made the remarks while visiting the city of Rask, where the terrorist attack took place recently. 

“Among the 11 police forces that were martyred, there were several Sunni individuals. This shows that the enemy does not distinguish between religious sects and different ethnicities. It wants to deal a blow to everyone in the Iranian nation,” Radan explained.
 
Sistan and Baluchestan is home to a large part of Iran’s Sunni minority. Different foreign forces have been trying to spark religious conflicts between Shias and Sunnis in the past decades, despite the Iranian people’s centuries of peaceful coexistence.
 
The Police chief also called on Iran’s neighbor Pakistan to take the fight against terrorism more seriously.  
 
“I want to assure the people of Iran and our colleagues across the country that the terror act will not go unpunished. We are working with intelligence forces and other armed units to bring all the terrorists to justice,” the official stated. 

The Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was one of the deadliest in years for the region sitting close to Iran’s border with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Iran’s interior minister has pointed the finger of blame at Israel, saying the regime was the one to recruit and train the terrorists.