ANKARA

Iran said Tuesday it had arrested several teams that intended to carry out acts of terrorism and sabotage on the eve of a national festival.

Iranians are set to mark Charshanbeh Suri, an ancient festival celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar.

In a statement, the Intelligence Ministry said several terrorist teams had been identified and arrested over the past few days, including a 21-member group linked to the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) in the capital Tehran.

According to the statement, the MKO-lined group intended to carry out acts of sabotage, including setting fire to public property, particularly buses, in crowded areas and destroying personal property, as well as throwing hand-made grenades.

The ministry said explosives and equipment used for sabotage acts were also seized.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar