Iran kills mastermind behind Tehran attacks

Iran’s intelligence minister said on Saturday the mastermind behind the Tehran terrorist attacks has been killed by security forces.

During a televised interview on Saturday, Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said that the terrorist commander was killed earlier in the day by intelligence forces.

17 people had been killed and more than 50 others wounded after five attackers stormed the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) and the Mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini on Wednesday and opened fire on people.

The suspected orchestrator of the attack, who has not been named, was tracked down by Iranian intelligence after he had fled the country amid the ongoing crackdown by government forces.

Acting in cooperation with “friendly foreign intelligence services,” the Iranian team killed the suspect on Saturday, PressTV reported, citing the minister.

One of the attackers on Iran’s parliament complex blew himself up on the fourth floor, while under siege by security forces, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

The Daesh (ISIL/ ISIS) terrorist group had claimed responsibility for the attack, by suicide bombers and gunmen.

Iranian authorities have also arrested seven people it suspects of helping militants involved in attacks, a judiciary official said on Saturday.

Ahmad Fazelian, a provincial judiciary official, said the seven, suspected of “providing support for the terrorist team”, were detained in Fardis, about 50 km (31 miles) west of Tehran, the judiciary’s online news agency Mizan reported.