Iran says arrests Kurdish cell for 'planning unrest' on Mahsa Amini death anniversary

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran said Saturday its security forces had arrested a cell of "counter-revolutionaries" who entered the country from northern Iraq’s Kurdish region.

The cell "affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups" planned to "foment chaos and prepare media propaganda," Mehdi Ramezani, deputy governor of Iran’s western Kordestan province, told state news agency IRNA.

He said the cell members were planning to organize "sabotage operations" in the cities of Sanandaj and Marivan when they were arrested by security agencies.

According to the semi-official Fars News, the cell members had "planned to carry out shootings" at public gatherings in the western province.

Three assault rifles, a hunting shotgun and a number of cold weapons were seized from the four-member cell.

Saturday marks the first anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, an ethnic Kurd, while in police custody, which sparked months-long protests across Iran last year.

Hundreds of people were killed and thousands of others were jailed during the violent unrest, which grabbed headlines worldwide.

On Saturday, there were also unconfirmed reports about the brief detention of Amini's father from his hometown in western Iran.

In recent weeks, a series of meetings were held between Iranian and Iraqi officials to discuss the implementation of a security agreement, which requires the Iraqi authorities to disarm and relocate exiled Kurdish armed groups from northern Iraq.

Meanwhile, there were also reports about the arrest of a group of people in the city of Marvdasht in southern Fars province for "inciting riots."

Local media cited security agencies in central Isfahan province as saying that dozens of people were identified for "subversive activities in cyberspace."