IRGC says it dismantled remaining Takfiri cell in southeastern Iran

The Public Relations Office of the Quds Headquarters of the IRGC Ground Force issued an announcement on Tuesday stating that a Takfiri terrorist cell involved in the assassinations of Sunni clerics and two members of the Law Enforcement Forces (FARAJA) had been identified and dismantled by provincial intelligence forces. According to the statement, the cell was responsible for the killings of Molavi Yousef Gorgij, Molavi Mohammad Anvar Rigi, and two FARAJA personnel on the Zahedan-Khonjak train on July 10, 2026.

Following the identification of other members and supporters of the team dismantled in the "Manzel Ab" District in Zahedan, two additional members of the group were killed on October 5, 2026. In total, eight members of the terrorist team were killed and two others were arrested. The statement said the suspects had received military, bomb-making, and assassination training abroad before entering Iran with the intention of carrying out acts of destruction and creating insecurity. They had been staying in safe houses but were identified and apprehended with the help of reports from members of the public and cooperation between the provincial Police and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

The announcement described the operation as part of the intelligence community's ongoing efforts to identify what it called US-Zionist-linked terrorists. It did not provide further details on the nationalities of the suspects or the specific locations of their foreign training. The IRGC Ground Force's Quds Headquarters is responsible for security operations in southeastern Iran, including Sistan and Baluchestan province, where Zahedan is located.

According to Mehr News, the statement added that the cell had been involved in a series of attacks targeting both religious figures and security personnel in the region. The report did not specify the current status of the two arrested individuals or whether they would face trial. The IRGC has previously announced similar operations against groups it describes as Takfiri militants in the area.