Iran Claims To Thwart 30 Terrorist Attack Plans, Arrest 28 People Related To ISIS

Illustration of arrests by Iranian intelligence. (Wikimedia Commons/Mostafa Terani)

JAKARTA - Iranian intelligence managed to thwart plans for a series of terrorist bomb attacks in Tehran, arresting dozens of people linked to the ISIS group.

Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday its troops had thwarted plans for 30 bomb attacks simultaneously in a densely populated area of the capital Tehran.

"The bomb attack was planned with the aim of undermining Iran's security, displaying a false picture of instability in Iran, fueling disappointment and terror in society, as well as fueling chaos and protests right at the anniversary of last year's unrest," the statement said.

Furthermore, the ministry noted that its troops had carried out a series of simultaneous operations over the past few days in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz, and West Azarbaijan, raiding the homes of terrorist teams and arresting 28 members of terrorist networks.

"The elements arrested are affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group," the statement continued.

"A number of people arrested have fought with Takfiri terrorists in Syria or have been in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kurdistan Region in Iraq," the ministry said.

Although elements captured in Iran are members of the ISIS terrorist group, their plots and behavior patterns are much more technically complicated compared to conventional Takfiri groups and significantly in accordance with the pattern and mechanism of the Zionist regime, the ministry said.

In addition, the ministry revealed that a number of weapons and equipment were seized from terrorists, including a large number of bombs and explosives, electronic devices, firearms along with their bullets, smartphones and satellite phones, modems to vests for suicide bombings.

He added that two Iranian intelligence forces were injured in one of the arrest operations, as terrorists attempted to carry out suicide attacks but were thwarted.

ISIS is known to have claimed several attacks in Iran, including the deadly twin bombings in 2017 targeting the Iranian Parliament and the tomb of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as quoted by Reuters.

Recently, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on a Shia holy place last October, which killed 15 people in the southwestern city of Shiraz.