Tasnim � Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said his forces have clashed with a terrorist cell affiliated to the Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) in western Iran, arresting 16 militants.


Following several days of intelligence activities, the IRGC Ground Force�s Najaf Ashraf Base on Saturday mounted an operation against a 21-member terrorist cell in an area west of the country, Brigadier General Pakpour said.

In the operation, the IRGC forces managed to lay siege to the hideout of the militants and arrested 16 members of the terror cell, the commander said.

A number of the terrorists were killed in the clash, Brigadier General Pakpour said, adding that two militants are still at large but the area is surrounded by the IRGC forces.

The commander went on to say three IRGC forces were martyred in the operation.

Back in August, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said that its forces had managed to disband a terror cell affiliated to the Daesh and arrest 27 terrorists before they could carry out acts of terror deep inside Iran and in religious cities.

The terrorists were nabbed during a series of intelligence operations and through intelligence sharing with the intelligence service of a regional country, the ministry said.