The Iranian Ministry of Security announced on Wednesday that it was able to identify and dismantle what it described as a “separatist terrorist group affiliated with the Zionist entity,” which it said intended to enter the country, according to what the IRNA news agency reported.

The ministry said that this “separatist group” aimed to “provoke unrest, street riots, assassinations, destabilize security, and move from the Iraqi Kurdistan region to the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan (northwest) and build cells, but it was identified and dismantled during Her entry into the country,” according to what was reported by the semi-official agency.

The ministry said that during its operations, “one of the main cadres of this terrorist group was killed,” noting that two of his companions were arrested, and the weapons in their possession were seized.