Notwithstanding Pentagon and Tehran's denials that seven US troops were detained by Iranian border guards, DEBKAfile's military and Iranian sources report that Iran did in fact kidnap 5 US soldiers in Afghanistan nearly a week ago. Tehran denied its own semi-official Fars agency report in the face of a furious reaction from associates of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who said it was leaked deliberately as the president was on his way to New York for the UN General Assembly.According to our sources, the five US troops were waylaid by Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen who dragged them from Afghanistan across the border into Iran and are holding them prisoner. It happened so fast that the soldiers had no time to draw their weapons in self-defence. It is believed they were either not expecting Iranian gunmen on the Afghan side of the border, or else the assailants were disguised in Afghan army uniforms. The Saravan district where it took place is mountainous and convenient for ambush operations.
In the past week, Iranian air patrols, taking off from the Birjand airfield, have intensified their patrols over the Iranian border district with Afghanistan to prevent American over-flights.
In its initial report, DEBKAfile's Iranian sources nonetheless confirmed the incident took place in Sistan-Baluchestan, the southeastern Iranian province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. Two Iranians accompanying the troops were also arrested, said Fars.
There were conflicting reports Saturday about a clash involving Jundallah operatives and an alleged attempt to abduct Iranian Guards men. The Baluchi organization claimed six Iranians were seized in the southeast, while Iranian sources in Tehran and Baluchestan said that five Iranian troops were kidnapped and released in a battle in which one Iranian soldier and three kidnappers were killed. The next day, Tehran reported - then denied - detaining 7 American soldiers, followed by the Pentagon.
| Here is a Reuters report of IranPressTV's denial of the kidnapping report issued by Iran's Fars news agency. Definitely crossed wires in Iran these days. Hopefully that's a good sign for the rest of the world... and an indication that the kidnap attempt was unsuccessful. |