Commander of Iran's Border Guard: Three Terrorist Groups Were Destroyed Last Year

The commander of the Border Guard of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that last year, three terrorist groups were "destroyed" at the country's eastern and western borders, and their members, including "two Iranian nationals and one Pakistani national carrying advanced equipment," were arrested. According to Fars News Agency, Qasem Rezaei announced on Wednesday, April 25, that last year, "three terrorist groups" were "identified and destroyed" at Iran's eastern and northwestern borders. Mr. Rezaei mentioned that the members of these three groups included "two Iranian nationals and one Pakistani national carrying advanced equipment." The commander of the Islamic Republic's Border Guard did not refer to the identities of these groups, the timing of the clashes between Iran's border forces and them, or the number of individuals arrested. On July 20 last year, Mr. Rezaei also reported the "destruction" of a "terrorist" group at the Iran-Pakistan border, stating that this group intended to carry out explosive and terrorist actions in "the cities of the country, especially Zahedan, Kerman, and Bam." Mahmoud Alavi, Iran's Minister of Intelligence, had previously announced that "one of the Takfiri elements" who was carrying "two remote-controlled homemade bombs, half a kilogram of explosives along with a fuse, remote, and a magnetic bomb" was identified and arrested on February 8, 2016, at the southeastern borders of the country. He also reported that on March 5 last year, a four-member team carrying many items related to suicide and explosive operations was arrested. Iranian officials refer to the Islamic State (ISIS) and some armed groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as "Takfiri" groups. Ahmadreza Pourdastan, commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces, also reported on April 23 without providing details that "a group" of Islamic State (ISIS) forces had entered Iran last March, and Iranian forces killed two of them who had "explosive vests." On Wednesday, Ali Zarifi Yeganeh, commander of the Army's headquarters in southwestern Iran, stated that "one or two" members of the Islamic State (ISIS) "intended to infiltrate" Iran and were killed by army forces at the western borders. He did not provide further details about the killing of these individuals. Despite fewer reports in recent years about the presence of teams affiliated with the People's Mujahedin Organization in eastern Iran, Mohammad Marani, commander of the Quds Headquarters of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported on April 15 the destruction of what he called a "malicious team" linked to the People's Mujahedin Organization in Sistan and Baluchestan province. According to the commander of the Quds Headquarters of the IRGC, in this operation, "Ahmad Sahoui," the commander of this team, along with four other members of this group, was killed in the village of Chanf Nikshahr.