Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced Thursday the arrest of 19 people in Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran, claiming some are connected to Israel and the United States and involved in killing Iranian security forces, while three others are suspected of gathering and transmitting information about security and military facilities, according to IranWire.
1+According to the ministry’s provincial statement, 16 of the suspects were arrested as part of operations against four different cells, following information received from the public, intelligence activity, and cooperation between Iranian security agencies.
Authorities claimed that some of those arrested entered Iran from outside the country, and that weapons were seized during the operations. The suspects have been transferred to judicial authorities, officials said.
1+Separately, intelligence officials announced the arrest of three additional people suspected of collecting and transmitting location data on headquarters and security and military facilities in the southern part of the province.
The announcement comes amid a series of armed clashes that have occurred in recent weeks in Sistan and Baluchestan province. On September 12, the Revolutionary Guards reported the deaths of four gunmen and three of their own personnel during a firefight in the Saravan area.