Official: Kidnapped Iranian Soldiers Released from Custody
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group has released the Iranian border guards it had kidnapped in February, a local Iranian official announced Saturday, and cast doubt on the authenticity of reports about the death of one of the abductees.
Speaking at a press conference in Iran’s southeastern city of Zahedan on Saturday, Governor-General of the province of Sistan and Balouchestan Ali Owsat Hashemi said the kidnapped Iranian soldiers have been released, noting that they have been handed over to the local activists in the region who are playing positive role of mediators.
He also stated that efforts are now underway to come up with a plan for the return of the soldiers in one of the border areas between Iran and Pakistan.
On February 6, the so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group kidnapped the five Iranian border guards in Jakigour region in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan and took them to Pakistan.
Ever since, Iran has made special diplomatic efforts to release the soldiers.
On March 23, the notorious terrorist group had announced in a Twitter message that it had killed one of the abductees, called Jamshid Danaeifar.
As regards the reports on the death of Danaeifar, Hashemi said the information suggest that the Iranian soldier has been killed by the infamous terrorists, but at the same time noted that it would not be possible to verify the authenticity of the reports as long as his body is not handed over to Iran.
Earlier on Friday, Esmail Kowsari, the member of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission told the Tasnim News Agency that the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group has handed over 4 Iranian border guards, along with the body of Jamshid Danaeifar, to the Islamic Republic’s liaison official in Pakistan.
