Iran says foiled 30 'terrorist’ attacks, arrested 28 Daesh/ISIS members

TEHRAN, Iran

Iran said Sunday it had thwarted 30 terrorist attacks by the Daesh/ISIS terror group in recent days.

In a statement, the Intelligence Ministry said 28 members of a "terrorist cell" affiliated with the Daesh/ISIS terror group were arrested in different provinces.

The arrests were made following a series of raids in Tehran, Alborz and West Azerbaijan, the statement said.

The ministry said bombings were being planned to mark the first anniversary of the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman of Kurdish descent, Mahsa Amini, who died on Sept. 16, 2022, while in police custody.

The objective of the attacks, the ministry said, was to "undermine security, causing panic and fear in society and incite riots and protests."

Although the group was affiliated with Daesh/ISIS, the statement said, their methods were "more sophisticated" and bore the hallmark of methods attributed to Israel, pointing a finger at the arch-foe.

Amini's death last year sparked massive protests in Iran and drew condemnations as well as sanctions from Western countries, including the US.

In recent weeks, Iranian security agencies reported arrests in several cities across the country, including Tehran for planning protests to mark Amini's anniversary.

The Intelligence Ministry said the men arrested have a history of association with Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq's Kurdish region.

During the operations to arrest them, two Iranian intelligence operatives were also injured, the statement noted.

A video of the operation in Tehran was released by the ministry and published by local media agencies on Sunday.

Iran has seen two major attacks since last year's protests, both targeting the popular Shah Cheragh shrine in southern Iran's Shiraz city. Both attacks were reportedly claimed by Daesh/ISIS group.