JERUSALEM: Israeli police on Monday said they had arrested a spy network of seven Israeli citizens who were gathering information on Israel’s military bases and energy infrastructure for Iranian intelligence.
The internal security agency and police “successfully dismantled a spy network involving seven Israeli citizens who were operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence,” the police said in a statement, adding that all seven had been arrested.
The seven Israelis were from the city of Haifa and northern areas of the country.
“This network was engaged in gathering sensitive information on IDF (military) bases and energy infrastructure,” it said.
Israeli investigations had revealed that the group carried out several missions under the direction of two Iranian agents known as “Alkhan and Orkhan” over a period of two years, the police said.
“The network members were aware that the intelligence they provided compromised national security and could potentially aid enemy missile attacks,” the police said.
“The network conducted extensive reconnaissance missions on IDF bases nationwide, focusing on air force and navy installations, ports, Iron Dome system locations, and energy infrastructure such as the Hadera power plant,” the police said.
It added that the group received hundreds of thousands of dollars for the work, often through crypto-currency payments.
The work often involved photographing and documenting strategic sites, with the collected data being handed over to Iranian agents, the police said.
“The investigation led to seizure of substantial materials compiled by the network members for Iranian agents,” an official from Israel’s internal security agency was quoted as saying in the police statement.
“These included photographs and videos of numerous IDF bases across Israel, ports, and energy infrastructure.
“It is assessed that these activities have inflicted security damage on the state.”
Members of the group were also tasked with collecting intelligence on several Israeli citizens at the behest of the Iranian agents, it said.
Israel is currently engaged in a multi-front conflict with Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.
Israel has also vowed to retaliate over an missile attack by Tehran on October 1.
Israel police say seven Israelis arrested for spying for Iran
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Israel police say seven Israelis arrested for spying for Iran
- The seven Israelis were from the city of Haifa and northern areas of the country
- “This network was engaged in gathering sensitive information on IDF (military) bases and energy infrastructure,” police said
Sudan gold mine collapse kills 13 miners
- The collapse occurred in “five abandoned shafts” of the Umm Fakroun mine in South Kordofan
- “The shafts had been abandoned and shut down, but some miners snuck in and were working illegally,” the statement said
KHARTOUM: A partial collapse of a gold mine has killed 13 miners and wounded six others in southern Sudan, the state mining company said on Wednesday.
The collapse occurred in “five abandoned shafts” of the Umm Fakroun mine in South Kordofan state last Friday, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) said in a statement.
Since conflict erupted between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, both sides’ war efforts have been largely funded by Sudan’s gold industry, in addition to foreign backers.
“The shafts had been abandoned and shut down, but some miners snuck in and were working illegally,” the statement said.
The war has devastated Sudan’s already fragile economy and left much of the country out of work, yet SMRC announced a “five-year high” in production of 70 tons in 2025.
Of last year’s 70 tons, only “20 tons have been exported through official channels,” army-aligned Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim told AFP this month.
Africa’s third-largest country is one of the continent’s top gold producers, but artisanal and small-scale gold mining, like Umm Fakroun, accounts for the majority of gold extracted.
These mines lack proper safety measures and use hazardous chemicals that often cause widespread diseases in nearby areas.
Before the war pushed 25 million Sudanese into acute food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to industry figures.
The war has left tens of thousands killed and around 11 million displaced.
