Minister of Information: Several Terrorist Bases Destroyed in Saravan Operation

Two days after the representative of Saravan announced the discovery of 200 kilograms of explosives in the city of Saravan, Iran's Minister of Information reported the destruction of several bases of a group he described as 'terrorist' in this city, stating that the explosives discovered in this operation amounted to 350 kilograms. The Minister also announced the arrest of several members of this group in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan, in cooperation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the police force. According to Fars News Agency, Mahmoud Alavi stated on Saturday, February 25, that this operation, which he referred to as 'intelligence complex', took place on February 5 and 11. Alavi mentioned that the arrested individuals were involved in the killings of several teachers in the Baluchestan region, as well as the assassination of military and police forces in the area and roadside bombings. The Minister emphasized that 'a large quantity of weapons, including both light and heavy firearms, as well as homemade bombs, explosive vests, and many homemade bombs prepared for explosions in crowded places were discovered and seized in the recent operation.' He noted that the 350 kilograms of explosives discovered could have caused significant harm to the local population if not intercepted. Alavi further stated that 'the people of the Rasak and Saravan areas facilitated the successful preparations for this operation.' He did not mention the number or identity of the arrested individuals. Two days prior to these statements, Hedayatollah Mir Moradzehi, the representative of Saravan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, reported that security forces had discovered an important ammunition depot belonging to a 'opposition' group of the Islamic Republic in Saravan, which contained 200 kilograms of explosives. According to him, the identification of this ammunition depot followed the discovery of a safe house and the arrest of three members of an 'opposition' group, along with their confessions. Ali Osta Hashemi, the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan, also announced on the evening of February 21 that 'the agents responsible for the insecurities of the past eight years in this province have been arrested through the efforts of the police and other agencies.' Hashemi stated that the suspects have confessed to several terrorist explosions in Zahedan, Chabahar, various assassinations across the province, bombings, roadside explosive traps, and other insecurities since 2007. Following the assassination of a Basij member and a teacher in Rasak County, the police commander of Sistan and Baluchestan reported on Tuesday, January 15, the arrest of members of a group he described as 'terrorist' in this regard. Mr. Rahimi mentioned on Wednesday, January 24, that the number of arrested individuals from this group was 18, and they have confessed to the murders of at least 10 people and the assassination of several others. On the evening of Thursday, January 11, a teacher and a Basij member in the 'Nasirabad' village, near Rasak city in Sistan and Baluchestan province, were killed by two motorcyclists. Additionally, multiple reports in recent months have indicated that several Iranian military and police forces in the Sistan and Baluchestan region have been killed by armed groups. On Sunday, January 7, the public relations office of the Quds Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that two senior members of this organization along with a Basij member were killed at the Saravan border in Sistan and Baluchestan province by armed individuals. In another instance of this violence, on Wednesday, December 5, three police officers in the Zahak County of Sistan and Baluchestan province were killed while on patrol. The day after this incident, Jamshid Rakhshani Nasab, the governor of Zahak, stated that 'seven suspects involved in this incident have been arrested.'