TEHRAN: The five Iranian border guards have been freed and handed over to Iranian officials in Pakistan, an Iranian news agency citing security sources reported on Friday.
A militant group Jaish al-Adl abducted five Iranian border guards on February 6 in Jakigour region in the Iranian province of Sistan-Balochistan and allegedly took them across the border to Pakistan.
“The soldiers were handed over some hours ago by the small terrorist group Jaish al-Adl to Iranian representatives in Pakistan,” said the news agency on Friday, quoting an unidentified security official.
The militant group also announced the releases of the Iranian border guards on its Twitter account.
“At the request of eminent Sunni clerics in Iran, the Iranian soldiers held hostage have been freed and handed over to a delegation of clerics,” it said.
On Wednesday, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour said that the five Iranian border guards are unharmed and in good health.
“Based on the information that we have received, all the Iranian border guards taken hostage are in good health,” Rahimpour said.