Mastermind of Tehran Terror Attacks Killed Abroad: Iran Intelligence Minister

During a televised interview broad casted by Iranian national TV, Mahmoud Alavi said that the terrorist commander was killed earlier in the day by security forces in cooperation with friendly foreign intelligence services.
 
He noted that the terrorist had fled the country following the ensuing security operations after the attack, but was killed abroad.      
 
At least 17 people, including 2 guards, 10 government staffers and 5 civilians, were killed and 52 others injured in Tehran on Wednesday when gunmen almost simultaneously attacked Iran’s Parliament and the Mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini. The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
 
The top security official further said that over the past 75 days the country’s intelligence forces had neutralized over 25 terrorist cells, adding they have already eliminated some 75 terrorist cells since 21 March 2015 to 21 February 2017.
 
He added that the large number of terrorist operations thwarted by Iran had pushed the terrorists into engaging in the Wednesday attacks.
 
Alavi also noted that in a recent intelligence raid a large amount of automatic weapons and grenade launchers were obtained from a terrorist group.
 
Meanwhile, Iran’s Police chief Hossein Ashtari has announced that a group of some 60 suspects has also been detained near Tehran in relation to the terrorist attacks.
 
Earlier, authorities reported the arrest of eight suspects in the country’s Alborz province, all of whom with ties to the recent attacks.