Death of Iran's Fifth Abducted Border Guard Unsubstantiated - Commander

Commander of the Iranian Border Guards Brig. Gen. Hossein Zolfaqari said today the death of the fifth abducted guard has not been proved. The Baluch militant group Jaish ul-Adl had said it executed Jamshid Danaie-Far last month.

“Don’t accept any quotes (from Jaish ul-Adl) about the issue of the border guards, there is no proof substantiating the martyrdom of Danaie-Far and no evidence has been presented to us in this regard," Zolfaqari told reporters in Tehran. (Fars News Agency, 12 April)

The four Iranian border guards were handed over to Iranian officials in Pakistan last Friday and returned home last Sunday, two months after their abduction.

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli had said on Thursday that Tehran will continue pursuing the fate of the fifth border guard abducted by Jaish ul-Adl.

Photo credit: Brig. Gen. Hossein Zolfaqari, commander of Iran's Border Guards (FNA)

Iran Punishes Military Officers After Guard Abductions

Court Martial and Dismissal from Service 

Iran has dismissed from service several military officers, and some would be subjected to court martial proceedings, for deleriction of duty in connection to the abduction of five Iranian border guards by the Iranian Baluch militant group Jaish ul-Adl, Iran’s border guard commander Brig. Gen. Hossein Zolfaqari announced today. (Mehr News Agency, 17 March)   

On Saturday, a member of Iranian Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee told reporters that the abducted guards were expected to be released before the start of the Persian New Year (21 March) through “negotiations and agreement” with the kidnappers.

Gen. Zolfaqari also criticized the Pakistani government and intelligence services and said they should intensify the security forces along the border.

The guards were abducted in the Jakigour region in Iranian Baluchestan on 6 February and are believed to have been taken to the Pakistani side of the border.

The Jaish-ul-Adl tweeted on 26 February that its religious court has sentenced the five Iranian guards to death.

Photo credit: A photo of five Iranian border guards held by Jaish al-Adl; published in group’s website on 9 February.