Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces have engaged in clashes with two terrorist groups in the country’s northwest near the border with Iraq, killing a number of terrorists

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces have engaged in clashes with two terrorist groups in the country’s northwest near the border with Iraq, killing a number of terrorists.

IRGC's Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said Wednesday that the two groups were trying to infiltrate into Iran through the Oshnavieh border area to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks.

Pakpour said the clashes lasted several hours and some of the terrorists were killed.

He added that a pursuit operation is underway to destroy the remnants of the terrorists in the region.

Pakpour did not touch on the affiliation of the attackers but such attacks in northwest Iran are often carried out by PJAK, an offshoot of PKK which is active in Iraq and Turkey.

Earlier this week, Iranian armed forces killed ten terrorists in two separate operations in the northwest and the southeast. Those operations took place in West Azarbaijan province and the Khash region in Sistan and Baluchestan province.

Terrorist attacks are rare in Iran, but al-Qaeda-linked and other groups stage hit-and-run assaults from time to time.