Pordestan: Two ISIS Forces Killed with Explosive Vests at Iran's Border

The commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces reported that a "group" of Islamic State (ISIS) forces entered Iran in the last month of the previous year, and the Islamic Republic's forces killed two of them who were wearing "explosive vests." According to Fars News Agency, Ahmad Reza Pordestan stated on Tuesday, April 23, without naming names, that some regional countries "want the threat of terrorist groups" to reach Iran's borders, but the military forces of the Islamic Republic are "equipped to counter border threats." He added, "In the last month of the year, a group of ISIS entered the country, and we confronted them, killing two who had come with suicide vests." The commander did not mention the number of individuals in this group or the details of their entry into Iran. On Thursday, March 13, 2016, Pordestan had also stated that the Iranian army had formed "rapid reaction units" to counter "takfiri" groups. The officials of the Islamic Republic refer to the Islamic State (ISIS) and some armed groups opposing Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, as "takfiri" groups. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Alavi, the Iranian Minister of Intelligence, previously announced that "one of the takfiri elements" who had "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 of the previous year, a four-member team carrying many items related to suicide and explosive operations was arrested. The Minister of Intelligence had also stated on January 18, 2016, that in the past two and a half years, "dozens of terrorist operations," including explosions and suicide operations in metro stations, markets, and Friday prayers in Tehran, as well as other cities in Iran, including Zahedan and Shiraz, had been discovered and neutralized. The officials of the Islamic Republic also declare that the purpose of the presence of Iranian military forces in Syria and Iraq is to provide advisory services to the governments of these countries in combating the Islamic State (ISIS). Meanwhile, reports indicate that some Iranian military forces have been fighting in favor of Bashar al-Assad since the onset of the Syrian conflict. Iranian media reported on Tuesday the deaths of four members of the Iranian army, including the "first commando" of this military force in Syria. However, Pordestan stated in his remarks on Tuesday that "we have sent personnel from various units as advisors to Syria, but we do not have a unit present in Syria." The commander of the Ground Forces of the Army had reported in 2014 that five combat brigades of this force had advanced up to 40 kilometers into Iraqi territory, stating that this action was taken in response to the increasing threat from the forces of the Islamic State (ISIS).