"Israeli linked" spy, terrorist network arrested by Iran

Tehran, Jan 11 (ANI): Iran's Intelligence Ministry has reportedly detained a "network of spies and terrorists" allegedly connected to Israel and held them responsible for the assassination of a prominent scientist in 2009.

Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, a professor of physics was reportedly killed in January 2009 by a bomb attached to a parked motorcycle.

The Washington Post quoted the Intelligence Ministry as saying in a statement that months of widespread operations had led to the "deep infiltration" by Iranian intelligence agents of Israel's spy agency, the Mossad.

This resulted in the discovery of "extremely important information on Mossad spy teams, which led to the arrest of some of these agents inside Iran. They have confessed to being trained by the Mossad and receiving all of their equipment from that agency," it added.

Iran regularly says it has arrested spy rings or terrorists working for foreign intelligence agencies, but it rarely provides evidence to support the claims. However, the recent public statement, issued on the anniversary of the 2009 assassination, claimed that more details would be given at "an appropriate time."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in November last year that three mysterious assassination attempts have been carried out against Iranian scientists since 2009, adding that the country's nuclear program was sabotaged and at least temporarily sidelined by a computer virus.

Iran regularly accuses the United States, Israel and Britain of trying to destabilize the country.

The recent ministry statement said the alleged Mossad agents used bases in some European and non-European countries, and also neighbouring states. (ANI)