Abdolmalek Rigi, ringleader of the Pakistan-based Sunni militant group Jundallah, has been captured in eastern Iran.
Rigi was reportedly captured on a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan, according to Iran's Press TV. Jundallah's number two was also arrested.
No further details are available.
The Jundallah group has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks in Iran. The group has carried out mass murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, acts of sabotage and bombings. They have targeted civilians and government officials, as well as all ranks of Iran's military.
In their latest attack, which occurred on 18 October, more than 40 Iranians — among them 15 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), including top commanders, in addition to several tribal elders — lost their lives when Jundallah carried out an operation in the border region of Pishin, located in Iran's south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
Citing US and Pakistani intelligence sources, the news group of an American televison network, ABC, reported in 2007 that the terrorist group "has been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials" to destabilize the government of Iran.
Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed in another report in July 2008 that US Congressional leaders had secretly agreed to former President George W. Bush's $400 million funding request, which gave the US a free hand in arming and funding terrorist groups such as Jundallah militants.
The Pakistan-based terrorist organization denies having any link to Washington but Rigi's brother, arrested earlier, confirmed in an interview with Press TV that the Jundallah leader had, in fact, established links with US agents.
Abdulhamid said that in just one of his meetings with US operatives, his brother had received $100,000 to fuel sectarianism in Iran.