Iran says it captured 700 'mercenaries' working for Israel during war
The semi-official Fars news agency said the mercenaries were identified and detained based on public reports and intelligence operations. It came after Israel's military chief said commandos had operated secretly inside Iran during the conflict, with Israel's spy chief hailing assistance from US intelligence.
'We achieved full control over Iranian airspace and in every location where we chose to operate,' Israeli chief of staff Eyal Zamir said in a televised address on Wednesday. 'This was made possible thanks to, among other things, co-ordination and tactical deception carried out by our air force and ground commando units.
'The forces operated in secret deep within enemy territory and created operational freedom of action for us.'
Fars said the mercenaries "mainly operated in the framework of espionage and sabotage networks". It said a number of ' Mossad operatives' had also been arrested in Iran during the war. Authorities had confiscated 'large amounts of explosives, remote controls and spying equipment', added the news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Fars said arrests were made in Kermanshah, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars and Lorestan provinces.
Trump says US will hold talks with Iran next week
Several workshops producing suicide drones linked to Israeli intelligence had also been discovered, it claimed.
On Wednesday, Iran said it executed three men accused of spying for Israel. Tehran has in the past put to death many people convicted of having links with Mossad and enabling its operations. It has long accused Israeli intelligence of carrying out sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities and assassinating its scientists.
But human rights groups have accused Iran of carrying out sham trials and issuing sentences for spying without credible evidence in an effort to crack down on dissent.
Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei has vowed swift trials for people captured on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
A ceasefire between Israel and Iran was announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday after 12 days of intense and unprecedented aerial fighting. The truce appeared to be holding on Thursday.
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