THERAN - Iran’s Intelligence Ministry says it has successfully confiscated a stash of weapons being smuggled from the Iraqi Kurdistan region into the country for sabotage and terrorism purposes.
The local branch of the ministry in the western province of Kermanshah said in a Tuesday statement that the military-grade weapons were seized from two members of a professional arms smuggling team seeking to enter the country from Iraq’s Kurdistan.
The statement said the pair, who included an Iranian and a national of a neighboring country, were arrested in coordination with the Iranian border guard force in a sophisticated surveillance operation.
It said the stash of weapons included 99 handguns, 10 Kalashnikov rifles, 1,700 rounds of handgun ammunition, and 198 handgun magazines.
The statement said tip-offs by locals had played a “decisive role” in the seizure of the weapons and the arrest of the smugglers, urging the public to continue to inform the ministry about any suspicious activity on the borders.
The operation comes amid continued vigilance along Iran’s western borders, where the country has faced sporadic terrorist attacks originating from the territory controlled by Iraqi Kurds.
Tehran has signed a pact with Baghdad that requires the Iraqi government to evict terrorists from areas near the Iranian border.
Iranian armed forces have carried out operations deep inside Kurdistan in recent years to destroy the bases and hideouts used by terrorists.
Iran’s sensitivity toward terrorist activity along its western borders increased early this year after the United States and the Israeli regime started the illegal aggression against the country.
The United States and Israel have promised their open support for riots in Iran’s Kurdish regions.