Iran has said more than 1,000 members of al-Qaeda have been apprehended in the country since the Taleban regime collapsed in Afghanistan in 2001.
Intelligence Minister Ali Younessi says most had been jailed or deported. Some 200 suspects remained in custody. (...)
He also said the Iranian authorities had found al-Qaeda terrorist cells in the east of the country in recent days with the help of Sunni clergymen.
Last month, a senior cleric said Iran had arrested and deported nearly 500 al-Qaeda members who had been hiding in the country over the last three years.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4689151.stmIran says it has dismantled Al-Qaeda cell
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran dismantled an Al-Qaeda cell in the east of the country in recent days that was preparing to launch attacks, Intelligence Minister Ali Younessi told the student news agency ISNA.
Al-Qaeda had "organized and formed different groups to carry out terrorist acts primarily in the east of the country," the minister said Saturday.
Eastern Iran borders Afghanistan and Pakistan and contains a large Sunni community. The majority of Iran is Shiite. (...)
The militant network had sought out "theology students and religious Sunnis," he added.
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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050716/wl_afp/iranqaeda_050716141548