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.



Interpol: 37 Suspected Terrorists Arrested in East Africa

A man passes an Interpol logo during the handing over ceremony of the new premises for Interpol's Global Complex for Innovation, a research and development facility, in Singapore September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su//File Photo
A man passes an Interpol logo during the handing over ceremony of the new premises for Interpol's Global Complex for Innovation, a research and development facility, in Singapore September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su//File Photo
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Interpol: 37 Suspected Terrorists Arrested in East Africa

A man passes an Interpol logo during the handing over ceremony of the new premises for Interpol's Global Complex for Innovation, a research and development facility, in Singapore September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su//File Photo
A man passes an Interpol logo during the handing over ceremony of the new premises for Interpol's Global Complex for Innovation, a research and development facility, in Singapore September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su//File Photo

Thirty-seven suspected terrorists, including suspected members of ISIS, have been arrested across east Africa over the last two months, the global police body Interpol said on Monday.

Interpol, which is headquartered in France, said the arrests had been made in November and December during operations conducted jointly with the pan-African police body Afripol.

The arrests come as concerns mount over a possible resurgence of the ISIS militant group, after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

On New Year's Day, fifteen people were killed after a US Army veteran flying an ISIS flag from his truck swerved around makeshift barriers and drove into crowds in New Orleans.

Interpol said the operations in Africa had resulted in the arrests of 17 people, including two suspected ISIS members, in Kenya, and the arrest of a suspected member of ISIS Mozambique in Tanzania.
Others were arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.

"East Africa's complex landscape, marked by political instability, porous borders, and socioeconomic challenges, continues to provide an environment conducive to terrorist activity," said Cyril Gout from Interpol.

"These positive results demonstrate the power of international collaboration in the fight against terrorism," he added.