Authorities seize weapons and explosives, but do not say how many were detained, or where the operation took place.

Iran’s intelligence ministry says its forces have foiled bombings and suicide attacks targeting religious centres after arresting suspected members of a group linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, known as ISIS), state television reported.

Security forces “were able to arrest a group linked to Daesh that intended to carry out terror operations in religious cities … and (seized) explosive and suicide attack equipment,” the state broadcaster IRIB said on Saturday, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

It did not say how many people were held, or where the operation took place

Authorities seized three assault rifles, a machine gun equipped with a silencer, three suicide belts, as well as explosives and bomb-making equipment, according to the report.

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They also seized night-vision goggles, three phones for remote detonation and a large number of bullets, it added.

The arrests came days after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired missiles from western Iran at ISIL positions in eastern Syria in retaliation for two attacks in Tehran earlier this month that were claimed by the armed group.

Since the June 7 attack, Iranian authorities have carried out several operations inside Iran, detaining dozens of people, and targeting groups suspected of having links to ISIL.