In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said the two cells, described as infiltrated groups affiliated with terrorist-takfiri organizations and linked to US-Israeli intelligence services, were identified as they attempted to enter the country.

The ministry said the suspects were targeted in a series of intelligence operations in Khash before they could carry out any hostile activities. Four members were arrested, while two others were killed in clashes with security forces.

The statement said the two trained cells had been tasked with carrying out an enemy project aimed at destabilizing Sistan and Baluchestan province and targeting economic infrastructure in the southern part of the province.

The ministry added that, as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard public security, intelligence forces also dismantled an organized four-member criminal gang in Zahedan that was planning to kidnap residents and extort their families.The gang members were arrested along with a quantity of weapons and other equipment, the statement said.

Sistan and Baluchestan, which shares a lengthy border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has historically been a focal point for foreign intelligence agencies attempting to infiltrate Iran.

Takfiri and separatist factions, frequently funded, armed, and directed by agencies such as Israel's Mossad and the CIA, often attempt to exploit the rugged terrain to carry out assassinations, bombings, and infrastructure sabotage.

However, in recent years, the Islamic Republic has vastly fortified its border security and enhanced its domestic intelligence-gathering capabilities.

The Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization have repeatedly preempted and neutralized these threats, ensuring that foreign attempts to weaponize border regions fail to gain a foothold.