TEHRAN - The Islamic 
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says its ground forces have dismantled a terrorist gang of hostage-takers in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
They killed five kidnappers and rescued a construction engineer abducted a day earlier.
According to a statement issued by the Quds Base of the IRGC Ground Force on Tuesday, the engineer was working at a project in western Zahedan, the provincial capital.
The statement said intelligence surveillance led the IRGC forces to identify the team in the Kourin area of Zahedan, where they launched a surprise operation to break up the gang.
The IRGC said the hostage-takers worked with terrorist groups and had planned to transfer the kidnapped engineer to a neighboring country.
An IRGC soldier was killed during the clashes, according to the statement.
The Quds Base said clashes with other members of the group continue and that further details would be released later.
The Quds Base said public security in Sistan and Baluchestan was a “red line” and that it would track down armed groups operating in the province and avenge the blood of its personnel.
The latest development comes amid intensified counter-terrorism efforts in Sistan and Baluchestan, where Iranian security forces have repeatedly targeted militant cells involved in attacks and attempts to destabilize the southeastern province.