Authorities in Qatar have arrested two cells allegedly operating on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report from the Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Tuesday.
Officials said the arrests were carried out as part of ongoing efforts to protect the country’s security and stability. Precision monitoring and tracking operations led to the capture of ten suspects.
According to the report, seven of the suspects were assigned espionage missions aimed at gathering intelligence on the nation’s vital and military infrastructure. Three others were allegedly tasked with carrying out sabotage activities and had received training in the use of drones.
Authorities said the suspects were found in possession of locations and coordinates of sensitive facilities and installations, along with communication devices and technological equipment.
During the investigations, according to QNA, the suspects confessed their links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and stated that they had been assigned to conduct espionage and subversion missions.
Earlier on Tuesday, senior Western diplomatic sources said that Qatar carried out strikes inside Iran over the past 24 hours in retaliation for recent Iranian drone and missile attacks on the country.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari denied that the strikes meant Qatar had joined the campaign against Iran. In a post on social media, he wrote, "We are exercising our right in self-defense and deterring Iranian attacks against our country,"