Iran’s security forces have uncovered and disbanded an “extensive” underground terror network said to be linked with Israeli intelligence, and whose ringleaders reportedly reside in Denmark and the Netherlands.
In a statement released Monday, the Ministry of Intelligence said a series of arrests had been carried out across multiple provinces, including Tehran, leading to the seizure of 43 remote-controlled bombs, bomb-making equipment and precursors, firearms and cold weapons.
The extremists were reportedly plotting to carry out terrorist and sabotage attacks on the eve of the holy month of Muharram (the start of the Muslim lunar calendar, which began this year on July 19), and planned to target public gathering places, electricity transmission lines, gas stations, and the tomb of the late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.
Members of the terror cells were said to have carried out several ‘test operations’ to prove their capabilities, and to have sent photo and video evidence of their activities to handlers in Europe and the United States. They reportedly attacked government buildings with Molotov cocktails, targeted the security forces, set fire to banks, ATM machines, and telecommunications antennas, and unfurled the flags of Iran’s enemies and royalist groups in various public places.
“The Ministry of Intelligence reserves the right to pursue terrorist proxies outside the country’s borders, and will continue to take appropriate measures against supporters of terrorism. It also warns countries which have consciously become the base and official refuge of terrorism under the guise of protecting human rights that terrorists never remain loyal to those who support them, and hosting them always comes at great cost,” the ministry said.
The ministry accompanied the press release with footage of members of terrorist cells being apprehended, as well as some of the bombs, firearms and other paraphernalia that were seized.
Iran’s security forces have waged battles with a multitude of terrorist and extremist groups going back to the Islamic Republic’s founding in 1979, with the largest terror group calling itself the ‘People’s Mojahedin Organization, a CIA and Mossad-sponsored and affiliated terror group which has killed thousands of Iranian officials, clerics, judges, police officers and civilians over the past 40+ years.