Iranian Commander Vows to Keep Efforts On to Save Kidnapped Border Guards

Brigadier General Pakpour said on Wednesday that efforts are still underway to release the remaining Iranian border guards who are kept hostage by Pakistan-based terrorists.

In the wake of consultations between Iranian and Pakistani political, security and intelligence officials together with the 24/7 efforts made by security forces, a number of the Iranian border guards will be released soon, he added.

The commander made the remarks an hour before the release of 4 other border guards on Wednesday who had been kidnapped by terrorists in mid-October. Late in November, a statement by the IRGC said that 5 of the kidnapped border guards returned home. There are still 6 other Iranian border guards in the hands of terrorists.

An hour after Pakpour made the remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi affirmed that four of the 15 Iranian guards, abducted by terrorists near the country's border with Pakistan, were released.

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.

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