Iran Disbands 5 Terror Cells Plotting to Disturb Elections

“They had planned terrorist attacks during the elections. They confessed to this during their interrogation,” Zolfaqari said in Tehran on Saturday.

“We managed to disband all of them just in time in the Eastern, Southern and Southwestern parts of the country,” he added, but did not reveal any further details.

In relevant remarks last February, Zolfaqari said security forces disbanded a terrorist cell in Western Iran.

“This morning two terrorists crossed the Western borders (in Soumar region). They were killed by border guards and security forces on the spot,” Zolfaqari told reporters on February 28.

He said several other terror plots were also foiled before and during the elections held on February 26.

One day after his remarks, Director of Kermanshah Governor-General Office for Security and Law Enforcement Affairs Nosratollah Moradi told reporters that the terrorists who were killed after crossing Iran’s Western borders were planning to strike the capital city after the elections.

“The security and military forces disbanded a terror cell in the Soumar and Naft Shahr region yesterday morning,” Moradi said.

He said the terrorists were armed with bombs, suicide and explosive vests, grenades, pistols and some US dollars.

“They were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Tehran,” Moradi added.

Also in February, Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alavi had announced that security forces disbanded two terror cells plotting terrorist attacks ahead of the February 26 vote.

“We identified a Takfiri terrorist on the Southeastern borders on February 8, some 18 days before the vote. He had explosive devices and tools and was planning to strike on Friday,” Alavi said at a press conference in Tehran.

According to him, the suspect had a magnetic bomb that could be attached to a car and detonated remotely.

“Also, on the days leading to the elections, intelligence officers were informed of terrorists’ intentions to enter the country through the Western borders,” Alavi noted.

“We identified a four-member terror cell who had tools for suicide bombings, including 6 suicide vests, electronic detonators, explosive powder, and explosive wicks,” he added.

Stressing that the intelligence ministry spares no efforts to increase security in the country, Alavi said, “The intelligence ministry doesn’t allow terrorist streams to use the blind spots and distort national security and calm.”