'Sunday Times' says British, US forces carrying out cross-border missions to stop arms smuggling.
By JPOST.COM STAFFiran revolutionary guard(photo credit: AP)
British special forces have carried out several operations inside Iran in recent months in an attempt to prevent the Revolutionary Guard's Al-Quds force from shipping weapons to Iraq, the Sunday Times reported.
The British and Australian SAS forces are reportedly working with American special forces to patrol the border to prevent weapons - including surface-to-air missiles and parts for IEDs (improvised explosive devices) - from reaching the hands of Iraqi insurgents.
According to the article, the SAS have engaged in at least six "intense firefights" with both Iranian and Iraqi Shi'ite arms smugglers. The fighting has reportedly taken place on both sides of the Iran-Iraq border, and Iran has fired mortar shells across the border.
The Times said that officials have stated that while the British troops are working to prevent arms smuggling, they do not cross the border into Iran.
As of last week, the report said, UK armed forces minister Bob Ainsworth could not say whether any Iranians had been killed or captured as part of the special forces operations.
Meanwhile, ongoing reports have come out that American special forces are operating inside Iran in an attempt to preempt a possible attack. British and American forces share intelligence on Iranian activity.
