Iran Kills Six Terrorists Linked to Israel, Arrests Two

Iranian authorities have killed six terrorists linked to Israel, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency on August 23 (local time).

According to the report, intelligence authorities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran shot and killed six armed militants and arrested two others who had infiltrated the eastern border area and were preparing for a terrorist attack. Three Iranian military and police personnel were also injured during the clash.

The militants were armed with M4 and M16 rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and suicide bomb vests. Iranian intelligence authorities claimed, "The targets they intended to attack match the military facilities that Israel recently bombed during the '12-Day War'," asserting Israeli involvement. The arrested individuals were confirmed not to be Iranian nationals, but their exact countries of origin were not disclosed.

This announcement came immediately after an incident in the same region the previous day, in which five police officers were killed in an attack by armed assailants. Sistan and Baluchestan Province borders Pakistan and is an area where tensions persist due to frequent violent attacks by separatist groups. Just last month, a local judiciary building was attacked, resulting in five deaths and 13 injuries.

Iran and Israel engaged in twelve days of military conflict in June after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. At that time, it was assessed that Iran's military and intelligence systems suffered significant damage in an operation led by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.