Iran's Intelligence Ministry has declared the elimination of two ISIS-Khorasan operatives by the country's security forces. Additionally, the ministry apprehended several high-ranking operatives of the group.
The ministry revealed that Mohammad Adel Aref, alias Aref Panjshiri, implicated in the 2020 Kabul University attack, had infiltrated Tehran and was under surveillance.
A Friday statement from the ministry detailed the arrest of numerous individuals linked to the Kerman attack, among them were key ISIS members. The ministry noted the arrest of foreign nationals, although their specific nationalities remain undisclosed.
Death of two ISIS members
The Intelligence Ministry reported that two ISIS members, intent on executing further operations post the lethal Kerman blasts, were encircled and neutralised by Iranian security forces in Kerman. Identified as foreigners, these individuals had plotted a dual-phase assault, initially targeting a law enforcement facility followed by an explosive trap for backup forces.
Detention of ISIS members
Details on some of the apprehended ISIS-Khorasan key members were provided. Mohammad Imran Tanveer, known as Abu Imran and a bomb-making expert, joined ISIS around eight years ago. Having operated in various countries, he ascended to a leadership position in ISIS.
Another captured individual, Mahtab (male), had infiltrated Iran under the guise of a labourer.
A senior ISIS-Khorasan figure, alongside four team members, was also apprehended. This individual, unnamed in the statement, served as a primary link to Abdul Hakim Towhidi, the ISIS operations lead.
The ministry also announced the detention of a fourth person planning a terrorist act near a shrine in the outskirts of Mashhad. Details about this individual were not disclosed.
However, the ministry's prime target, Mohammad Adel Aref, alias Aref Panjshiri, remains at large. Aref, directly linked to Abdul Hakim Towhidi, was previously imprisoned in Bagram for orchestrating a suicide attack at Kabul University, but was released and returned to criminal activities. Several of Aref's associates, all ISIS members, have been located and detained, with ongoing efforts to capture Aref.
