Iranian police kill three armed terrorists in Saravan clash
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Iranian security forces killed three armed militants in Saravan, Sistan and Baluchestan, after coming under attack.
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Iranian police officers stand guard during a protest against Sweden in front of the Swedish Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 21, 2023 (AP)
Iranian security forces have killed three armed militants during an exchange of fire in the southeastern city of Saravan, Sistan and Baluchestan province, according to the provincial police information center.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when patrol units in Saravan County came under an unprovoked armed attack, Mehr News Agency reported. Police returned fire, killing three of the assailants, while other attackers fled the scene and are now being pursued by security forces.
Authorities confirmed that one police officer was killed in the clash, while another sustained injuries and was transferred to a medical facility for treatment.
The Sistan and Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long experienced sporadic unrest involving armed groups, including militant and smuggling networks operating in the region.
Iran arrests terrorists in Tehran
Iran executed in late July two members of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), identified as Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo, after the Supreme Court upheld their death sentences for charges of armed insurrection and waging war against the state.
The executions were carried out on Sunday morning, according to a statement released by Iran’s Judiciary.
The two MKO members were convicted of manufacturing homemade launchers and mortars in a covert safehouse in Tehran. The weapons were used to launch projectiles at civilian homes, public service buildings, schools, charities, and administrative centers.
They also engaged in propaganda activities and surveillance, sending footage and intelligence from their operations to MKO-affiliated media networks for dissemination. Authorities reported the destruction of public property and efforts to destabilize security across the capital as part of a broader MKO campaign.
Iranian authorities seize weapons, foil escape attempt
Iranian forces confiscated firearms, bullets, equipment for making mortars, and facial disguise tools during the arrest operation. Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo was captured while attempting to flee the country through a land border crossing into Turkey.
The Judiciary emphasized that the evidence tied the individuals to organized terrorist plots orchestrated by the MKO, which remains banned in Iran as a terrorist group.
The MKO has a long history of carrying out terrorist attacks against Iranian civilians and officials, claiming the lives of an estimated 12,000 people since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Now based in Albania, MKO operatives continue to operate freely in the United States and Europe, despite their track record of violence. The group's activities have drawn persistent condemnation from Iranian authorities, who accuse Western governments of harboring and supporting the organization.
