Iran busts terror spy cell linked to Israel:ministry

TEHRAN - Iran's intelligence ministry said Friday that it has recently busted a network of terrorism and sabotage with links to spy agencies of Israel and Western countries, Press TV reported.

"A number of terrorist elements affiliated with foreign intelligence agencies, who attempted to carry out bombing attacks in (Iran's southwestern) Khuzestan province, have been identified and arrested over the past few days," the ministry said in a statement.

It said the terrorists intended to cause insecurity in the southwestern province by conducting bombing attacks in provincial energy networks, according to the report.

The oil-rich Khuzestan province, bordering Iraq's Basra province and the Persian Gulf, is populated by a number of ethnic minorities. In the past years, the Iranian government has detained some in Khuzestan's capital city of Ahwaz over explosion, bombing and terrorist measures charges.

Large amounts of explosives and military equipment, provided by one of the Persian Gulf littoral states, have also been seized from the detainees, the statement said.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out intelligence work inside the Islamic republic and even of being involved in the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Israel and the West suspect that Iran is conducting weapon- grade activities under the guise of civilian nuclear program. Iran denies the charges, saying that its nuclear activities are for " peaceful" ends.