Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has dismantled an armed group, says state TV

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard forces have dismantled armed bandits in the northwest of the country, state TV reported Tuesday.

The report said ground forces of the Revolutionary Guard, known as IRGC in West Azerbaijan province, dismantled a counter-revolutionary terrorist team that was planning to enter Iran from its northwestern borders.

Several members of the “terrorist” team were killed and wounded in the operation, and their equipment was confiscated by the Guard, said the state TV.

The Guard warned that any action against the security and territorial integrity of Iran would be met with a decisive and firm response, it added.

The TV report did not elaborate on the exact location of the operation.

The province has borders with two countries, Turkey and Iraq. The border with Turkey is 550 kilometers (341 miles) long.

The area has seen occasional fighting between Iranian forces and Kurdish separatists as well as militants linked to the extremist Islamic State group.

In 2022, Iran’s intelligence forces dismantled the biggest spy network affiliated with Israel that allegedly tried to hire thugs to carry out sabotage in the country.