Iran said on Tuesday it had identified a “major terrorist group” it said was affiliated to its arch-foe Israel and had arrested some of its members, the official IRNA news agency reported, citing a report by the country’s Intelligence Ministry. “Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced it has identified a major terrorist group from the Zionist regime (of Israel) and has arrested some of its protected operational members inside the country,” IRNA reported without making clear when the arrests had taken place. The semi-official Fars news agency said the suspects were arrested “while preparing to carry out terrorist acts”, adding that a considerable number of bombs, machine guns, military and communication equipments were seized. Tehran has in the past accused Israel of being behind the killings of its nuclear scientists. The Islamic state blamed Israel in January when a nuclear scientist was killed by a bomb placed on his car by a motorcyclist in Tehran. Iran denies Western suspicions that its nuclear programme has military goals, saying it is for purely peaceful purposes. Fars cited the Intelligence Ministry’s statement as saying that further information would be announced later.