TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have announced the arrest of 12 people accused of “collaborating” with the country’s arch-foe Israel, local media reported on Sunday.
Revolutionary Guards “arrested 12 collaborators with the Zionist regime (Israel) in six provinces” of the Islamic republic, the Fars news agency said.
Iran regularly announces the arrest of people accused of working as agents for foreign countries, most notably Israel.
Fars did not specify the dates or locations of the arrests, but said the accused had been “planning to take action against the security” of Iran.
Tehran has accused Israel of being behind sabotage operations at a number of its nuclear sites, as well as assassinating several Iranian scientists.
In December, authorities executed a man convicted of collusion with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
And in December 2022, four men were hanged after being convicted of collaborating with Israel.
Iran has repeatedly vowed to retaliate over a July strike, blamed on Israel, in Tehran that killed the Qatar-based political chief of Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.
Iran arrests 12 accused of collaborating with Israel
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Iran arrests 12 accused of collaborating with Israel
- Iran has repeatedly vowed to retaliate over a July strike
Syrian Democratic Forces withdraws from east of Aleppo
RIYADH: Syrian Democratic Forces have withdrawn from positions east of Aleppo, according to SDF head Mazloum Abdi.
He announced Friday that SDF will withdraw from east of Aleppo at 7 AM local time on Saturday and redeploy them to areas east of the Euphrates, citing calls from friendly countries and mediators.
Hours earlier, a U.S. military designation had visited Deir Hafer and met with SDF officials in an apparent attempt to tamp down tensions.
The U.S. has good relations with both sides and has urged calm. A spokesperson for the U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shortly before Abdi’s announcement, interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa had announced issuance of a decree strengthening Kurdish rights.
A wave of displacement
Earlier in the day, hundreds of people carrying their belongings arrived in government-held areas in northern Syria ahead of the anticipated offensive by Syrian troops on territory held by Kurdish-led fighters.
Many of the civilians who fled were seen using side roads to reach government-held areas because the main highway was blocked at a checkpoint in the town of Deir Hafer controlled by the SDF.
The Syrian army said late Wednesday that civilians would be able to evacuate through the “humanitarian corridor” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and then extended the evacuation period another day, saying the SDF had stopped civilians from leaving.
There had been limited exchanges of fire between the two sides in the area before that.
Men, women and children arrived on the government side of the line in cars and pickup trucks that were packed with bags of clothes, mattresses and other belongings. They were met by local officials who directed them to shelters.
* with input from Reuters, AP
