Iran Says Arrested Israel-Linked Agents Were Kurdish Rebels

Some of the furniture that allegedly concealed bombs, in a photo released Wednesday by Iran's intelligence ministry following the arrest of purported Mossad-linked agents. (AFP)
Some of the furniture that allegedly concealed bombs, in a photo released Wednesday by Iran's intelligence ministry following the arrest of purported Mossad-linked agents. (AFP)
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Iran Says Arrested Israel-Linked Agents Were Kurdish Rebels

Some of the furniture that allegedly concealed bombs, in a photo released Wednesday by Iran's intelligence ministry following the arrest of purported Mossad-linked agents. (AFP)
Some of the furniture that allegedly concealed bombs, in a photo released Wednesday by Iran's intelligence ministry following the arrest of purported Mossad-linked agents. (AFP)

Iran's intelligence ministry said Wednesday that agents linked to Israel's Mossad who were arrested last week were also members of an outlawed Kurdish rebel group who planned to target a "sensitive defense center."

The ministry had announced on Saturday that it arrested "members of a terrorist organization who work for the Zionist spy agency Mossad and were sent to (Iran) to carry out (a) terrorist operation."

It did not say how many suspects were arrested, nor did it identify the targets of the purported plots against "sensitive sites", but alleged that they entered from neighboring Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

On Wednesday, the intelligence ministry said in a new statement that "the elements of the operating team are members of the Komalah terrorist and mercenary group."

Komalah is a Marxist group which seeks autonomy for Kurdish-populated regions of northern Iran and has been outlawed since the revolution of 1979.

The group has periodically clashed with security forces in northwest Iran, which has a sizeable Kurdish population.

Iranian intelligence forces in April said they arrested a number of Komalah members in the northwestern province of Kurdistan who were seeking to "cause security problems."

The ministry on Wednesday published pictures of equipment and weapons allegedly confiscated from those detained.

They showed square-shaped pieces of furniture with "bombs" hidden inside, pistols with silencers and bullets, SD cards hidden in the cap of perfume bottles, oxygen tanks, in addition to laptops, mobile phones and cash.

The arrested individuals were aiming to "blow up a sensitive defense industry center in the country," the statement published on Wednesday said, without identifying the target.

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a years-long shadow war, with Tehran accusing its arch-foe of carrying out sabotage attacks against its nuclear sites and assassinations of key figures, including scientists.

Tensions have ratcheted up following a string of high-profile incidents that Tehran has blamed on Israel.

Iran has blamed Israel for the killing of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Sayyad Khodai at his Tehran home on May 22.

Two other Guard members have also died -- one in a reported accident and the other while on a mission -- earlier this year.

In April, Iran said it arrested three people linked to Mossad and a month earlier claimed it had foiled an attack on a nuclear plant also planned by suspects linked to Israel.



Large Russian Drone Attack Injures Civilians in Central Ukraine

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Dolynska, in Kirovohrad region, Ukraine, February 18, 2025. Head of Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Andrii Raikovych via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Dolynska, in Kirovohrad region, Ukraine, February 18, 2025. Head of Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Andrii Raikovych via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS
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Large Russian Drone Attack Injures Civilians in Central Ukraine

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Dolynska, in Kirovohrad region, Ukraine, February 18, 2025. Head of Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Andrii Raikovych via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Dolynska, in Kirovohrad region, Ukraine, February 18, 2025. Head of Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Andrii Raikovych via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS

A large-scale overnight Russian drone attack hit a residential building in the city of Dolynska in central Ukraine, injuring a mother and her two children and forcing evacuations from 38 apartments, a regional official said on Tuesday.
"A difficult night for the Kirovohrad region," Andriy Raikovych, the region's governor, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. "An enemy drone hit a high-rise building in Dolynska."
The mother and one of the children were taken to hospital, said Raikovych, who posted photos of flames bursting out of windows of a high-story apartment building.
The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday that Russia launched 176 drones in a large-scale attack.
Ukraine's air force shot down 103 of the drones and 67 did not reach their targets, probably due to electronic countermeasures, the military said.
According to Reuters, it did not specify what happened to the remaining six drones, but said that Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Cherkasy regions were impacted.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said that drone debris fell in one of the districts of the capital, causing a fire at an industrial enterprise.
Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians in the war, which Russia started with its full-scale invasion on Ukraine nearly three years ago. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
The attack took place as top Russian and US officials are meeting in Saudi Arabia for talks - without the participation of Kyiv or its European allies - on how to end the war in Ukraine.