The Islamic Republic has announced that in a clash with a “terrorist” group five people were arrested and two were killed. The clash took place in Chabahar, in southeast Iran on the Arabian Sea near Pakistan on Wednesday evening.
Based on Iranian reports, the Intelligence Ministry and police clashed with members of Ansar Al-Furqan, an Iranian Baluchi Sunni armed group, which has ties with other Sunni armed organizations, including Jeish Ul-Adl, which is another Baluchi insurgent group, attacking Iranian targets in the area.
According to Alawi the group was planning an attack on an Iranian base.
Ansar Al-Furqan was established in December 2013 by the merger of two groups; Hizb Ul-Furqan and Harakat Al-Ansar.
The Iranian Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alawi announced that one officer of his ministry was also killed in the clash. He was from Gorgan, in northern Iran. He added that five insurgents were Iranian and two foreigners. Mr. Alawi accused Saudi Arabia of being these groups and said, “We have intelligence that indicates they [Saudis] in a neighboring country are recruiting mercenaries to create insecurity in Iran”.
A day earlier, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister had said in Norway that the Islamic Republic has information indicating that Saudi Arabia is supporting “terrorist” near Iran’s borders.
According to official news agency, IRNA, the intelligence minister told the media that this and other arrests prove there has been a present danger of Sunni extremists but because of their lack of success some started to believe that government announcements about arrests in the past were manufactures. He added that detainees are in Evin prison and journalists can come and see for themselves.
In the last few years Iran has announced arrests of “terrorists” on many occasions but they have never shown any evidence and have not held any public trials of the accused.
The Mizan news agency associated with Iran’s Judiciary has reported that the insurgents involved in this incident have seven suicide belts and a large quantity of ammunition.
According to Reuters, this group had previously issued a threat that in retaliation for the execution of Sunni prisoners it would attack Iranian targets.
On June 7, armed extremists attacked the Iranian parliament and ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in Tehran, killing 18 people and wounding 50. This was the largest such incident in Iran in more than two decades. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Following this, the Islamic Republic top officials have repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia and even the U.S. of having a hand in the attack.
