TEHRAN -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it thwarted a terrorist plot against security forces in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, while one member of the Iranian Army was martyred in a separate attack in the region.
The statement, carried by the IRGC Ground Force’s public relations office, said a terrorist cell that had been previously identified and placed under intelligence surveillance was intercepted in an ambush before it could carry out its planned terrorist act.
The terrorist group had planned to launch terrorist attacks against the bases of security forces deployed in the region to defend against the invading enemy, as well as to block the road connecting Zarabad and Konarak counties, it added.
During the operation, one terrorist was killed and several others were arrested, while the remaining elements who fled the scene are currently being pursued, the statement said.
The elite military force reiterated that any threat to the security of the people of Sistan and Baluchestan Province constitutes a red line.
“Terrorist cells operating at the behest of the defeated adversary remain under intelligence surveillance,” it warned.
Sistan and Baluchestan, which shares a lengthy border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has witnessed several terrorist attacks targeting civilians and security forces in recent years.
Terrorist groups, frequently funded, armed and directed by spy agencies such as the Mossad and the CIA, often attempt to exploit the rugged terrain to carry out assassinations, bombings and infrastructure sabotage.

However, in recent years, the Islamic Republic has vastly bolstered its border security and enhanced its domestic intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Separately, one member of the 377th Mobile Assault Brigade of the Iranian Army was martyred and another was wounded in a terrorist attack by hostile groups in the southeast of the country. 
During the attack and ensuing clash, one terrorist was also killed and another was wounded before fleeing the scene, Tasnim said.
The martyred soldier was identified as First Lieutenant Hojat Vafafardeh, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Police in Saravan County, according to the Sistan and Baluchestan police information center. 
He was martyred in an armed attack by unknown individuals, the center said, adding that efforts by law enforcement and security officers to identify and arrest the perpetrators of this cowardly act are ongoing and further news will be announced subsequently.
The Public Relations Office of the IRGC Ground Force’s Quds Headquarters also announced that, with precise intelligence dominance, a terrorist team that had been previously identified and was under intelligence monitoring fell into an ambush by anonymous guardians of Imam Zaman in the Quds Headquarters and the IRGC provincial intelligence organisation before it could carry out its terrorist action. One terrorist was killed in the operation, a number were arrested and the remaining elements fled, it said.
The Quds Headquarters once again declared that undermining the security of the dear people of Sistan and Baluchestan Province is a red line, and terrorist teams carrying out missions on the orders of the defeated enemy are under intelligence surveillance, it added.
Tasnim also reported that a video showing several passing cars being stopped on the Khash-Zahedan axis was presented by a channel affiliated with the Jaish al-Adl terrorist group as evidence of setting up a checkpoint and seizing control of the road. 
According to local reports and eyewitness accounts, the incident involved several armed individuals affiliated with the group entering the Eskelabad area in two Peugeot vehicles, briefly stopping some passing cars, filming the scene and then leaving. 
Eyewitnesses said the stoppage and the presence of armed individuals at the location lasted only about two to three minutes, a significantly shorter period than the claim of several hours of control over the road.