MEK Captured 4 Iranian Gaurds

MEK Captured 4 Iranian Gaurds
Reuters
April 23, 2003

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - An Iraq-based Iranian opposition militia said it had captured four Iranian Revolutionary Guards after an attack on its positions in a border area Wednesday.


In a statement issued by its Paris office, the People's Mujahideen said the four were commanders of Revolutionary Guards forces which fled after the clash near Mandali, 80 miles northeast of Baghdad.

The United States said on Wednesday Iran had been told not to interfere with Iraq's Shi'ite population to advance Iranian interests.

There was no immediate reaction to the Mujahideen report from Iranian officials or U.S.-led forces.

The People's Mujahideen, an armed group that had been backed by Saddam Hussein, has complained of what it said were cross-border attacks by Iranian troops or raids by pro-Iranian Shi'ite Muslim Iraqi force in recent weeks.

Iran, which has raided Mujahideen bases in Iraq in the past in retaliation for their attacks in the Islamic Republic, has said it would not interfere in Iraq during the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam's government.

The rebels, also known as the Mujahideen Khalq, have sought to overthrow Iran's Islamic government for two decades.

The U.S. military said Tuesday it had agreed a cease-fire with the Mujahideen after launching air raids against their bases in Iraq.