Iran Has Arrested Al Qaeda Fighters, Newspaper Reports

TEHRAN — Iranian security forces have arrested Al Qaeda fighters fleeing Afghanistan and are hunting others who have slipped across the border, an Iranian newspaper reported Wednesday.

“Some Al Qaeda members who have illegally entered Iran have been arrested, and the security forces are searching for the rest,” the daily Khorasan quoted Mohsen Tarkashvan, a member of Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, as saying.

“Because of Iran’s geographical position, there may be some Al Qaeda members among Afghan trespassers who have slipped into Iran with fake passports and visas,” he said.

Iran has strongly denied U.S. accusations that it has given refuge to members of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terrorist network who crossed into Iran after the defeat of their Taliban protectors in Afghanistan.

Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi said last week that a “large number” of Taliban supporters who had illegally entered Iran had been arrested but that no Al Qaeda members were among them.

Authorities in southern Afghanistan repeated the U.S. charges against Iran on Wednesday, saying camps had been set up in Iran near the Afghan border for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters.

“We have received reports that special camps have been opened,” said Khalid Pushtoon, a senior aide to Gul Agha Shirzai, the governor of Kandahar province.

Iranian officials were unavailable to comment.