IRNA - Two leaders of saboteurs, who were trying to take advantage of people's peaceful protests in Shiraz in Fars province, southern Iran, have been arrested by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence branch, the IRGC announced.

These two people had been hired by certain foreign countries to carry out the mission of provoking people to attack key centers in cities and destroy the public properties in exchange for offers of cash and residence, it said.

They also had the mission of filming the sabotage acts and sending them to their leaders abroad, the IRGC added.

Other missions of the saboteurs were to torch the police centers, police cars and destroy the government buildings and petrol stations.

Riots by a small number who have taken advantage of legitimate public protests against the government's gas price hike plan in Iran are directed at triggering chaos through targeted attacks on public and private properties, forcing law enforcement to step in to stop saboteurs, it added.

A large number of protesters have only been present in the gathering centers and avoided joining the rioters in sabotage attacks on public and private properties.

Intelligence Ministry said on Sunday that it will strongly deal with disruption of law and order by lawbreakers and that the Ministry will spare no efforts to fulfill its legal obligation to safeguard national security.

The Ministry said in a statement that major saboteurs of the public security in the past two days have been identified and proper measures are being taken.

The statement was referring to the riots that took place in protest against petrol price rise on Saturday.

The Intelligence Ministry said in the statement that subsequently, the people will be informed about the measures taken, adding that for sure, the enemies of the people will once again be disappointed.