Abducted Iranian border guards released by Sunni rebels

Abducted Iranian border guards were released by Iran's Sunni rebels, local media reported Friday.

The Pakistan-based Jaish Al-Adl group has released the Iranian border guards it abducted in Iran's southeastern border region in early February, Xinhua reported citing the report by Fars news agency Friday.

"These guards have been handed over to the Iranian officials in Pakistan by Jaish Al-Adl terrorist group a few hours ago," the Fars news report said.

Earlier Friday, Jaish Al-Adl released the news of releasing four Iranian border guards on its website.

Also, Esmail Kowsari, member of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission said Friday that four border guards were released by the group.

"The kidnapped Iranian border guards have been handed over to the Islamic Republic of Iran's liaison in Pakistan, but they have not entered into the country yet," Kowsari was quoted as saying.

In March, Jaish Al-Adl Sunni rebel group from Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province said they killed one of the five Iranian border guards that they claimed to have taken as hostages in February.

In October, Jaish Al-Adl also claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in a mountainous area near Saravan city bordering Pakistan in Sistan and Baluchestan province, in which at least 14 border guards were killed.

Sistan and Baluchestan province, mostly populated by Sunni Muslims, has been the scene of bloody clashes between the Sunni rebels and the Iranian security forces.