IRGC Reports the 'Neutralization' of a 'Terrorist Team' in Iran

The commander of the IRGC Ground Forces announced the 'neutralization' of a 'terrorist team' in Qasr-e Qand, Sistan and Baluchestan, which he claimed was 'supported by Saudi intelligence agencies' and intended to infiltrate 'deep into the geography' of Iran. According to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Pakpour stated on Saturday, June 17, that 'we have complete intelligence and operational oversight of the region and will not allow terrorists to operate.' This senior military official explained that 'a terrorist team, supported by Saudi intelligence agencies, attempted to infiltrate deep into the country for the purpose of creating insecurity and carrying out terrorist actions, but was neutralized by the timely actions of the Quds Headquarters in the mountainous areas of Qasr-e Qand, Sistan and Baluchestan.' The accusation of Saudi Arabia's support for attacks within Iran comes despite official Saudi representatives denying any involvement. Pakpour also denied any clashes occurring along Iran's western borders while detailing operations in Qasr-e Qand. His remarks about the group's intention to 'infiltrate deep into the geography' of Iran coincided with a statement from the Ministry of Interior's Information and International Affairs Center, which reported that 'based on information obtained from documents and the statements of arrested individuals, this team was pursuing anti-security objectives in specific areas of Sistan and Baluchestan.' The statement also noted that 'some media outlets published claims from irresponsible individuals in the internal security domain (including that the terrorist group's targets were mentioned for the nights of Qadr in Tehran), which were false and merely created public anxiety.' The IRGC Ground Forces' public relations announced on Thursday, June 15, that a militant group had been destroyed in the general area of Qasr-e Qand, stating that during the operation in the heights of Qasr-e Qand, in addition to destroying a vehicle loaded with 600 kilograms of explosives, five ready-to-use suicide bombs and over 700 kilograms of explosive materials were discovered and seized by IRGC forces. The statement emphasized that the pursuit of 'fleeing terrorists' in the region continues. According to this report, IRGC forces, police, and the Ministry of Intelligence participated in the clashes. The IRGC's public relations did not mention the number of casualties on either side involved in the conflict. The Islamic Republic's state media referred to this armed group as 'the most equipped terrorist team in terms of explosive materials' that was 'lying in ambush for the IRGC and Quds Headquarters in the mountainous region of Qasr-e Qand.' In another development, on Thursday morning, Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, reported the death of one of the ministry's agents during a clash with 'Ansar al-Furqan' forces in Zahedan. The 'Ansar al-Furqan' group is a Sunni jihadist group in Sistan and Baluchestan that, according to Reuters, had previously threatened to carry out suicide attacks in retaliation for executed Sunnis. Alavi stated that during his tenure as Minister of Intelligence, over 120 operations had been conducted, adding that the deceased, who was from Gilan, is the first individual from this ministry to be killed in operations in recent years. Alavi reported that during this operation, two individuals were killed, five were injured, and seven were arrested, with two of the detainees being nationals from neighboring countries. Following the attacks on June 7 at the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum and the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Iran announced the tightening of security measures and the widespread arrest of individuals suspected of links to the Islamic State group or ISIS. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in Tehran and threatened to launch further operations against Iran.