Iran: 4 Border Guards Freed by Terrorists, 6 Still in Pakistan

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that four of the 15 Iranian guards, abducted by terrorists near the country's border with Pakistan, were released on Wednesday.

Qassemi thanked the Pakistani government for its efforts to facilitate the release of the guards, expressing hope that the others to be released soon.

Fifteen Iranian Basijis (volunteer forces) and border guard forces were abducted by terrorists in the border of Iran's province of Sistan and Baluchistan with Pakistan on October 15 by Jeish al-Adl terrorist group. Five of them were later released through the efforts of the Pakistani government on November 15.

Late in November, a statement by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that 5 of the kidnapped border guards returned home.

Following the freedom of the 4 border guards on Wednesday, Commander of IRGC Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said that there are still 6 border guards in terrorists’ hands in Pakistan.

In early December, Security officials from Iran and Pakistan along with their accompanying delegations met in Iran’s Southeastern city of Zahedan to hold the 22nd joint meeting on border cooperation between the two countries.

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