Iranian Rebels Agree to Cease-Fire
An Iranian opposition group that has conducted attacks from bases in Iraq has agreed to a cease-fire and has begun moving its vehicles into U.S.-controlled areas, a U.S. military spokesman said Monday.
The move by the Moujahedeen Khalq came after the U.S. military bombed the militia’s bases and worked to negotiate the surrender of its members.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the military spokesman said members of the militia were moving vehicles into temporary military facilities around Baqubah, about 25 miles northeast of Baghdad.
Last week, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, deputy operations director at U.S. Central Command, said efforts were underway to secure an agreement leading to a cease-fire and capitulation of the group’s fighters.
American officials say the Moujahedeen Khalq was supported and directed by Saddam Hussein’s regime. The group, with about 15,000 members, is accused of staging attacks inside Iran in a bid to overthrow the Tehran leadership.
The United States shares the Moujahedeen’s opposition to Iran’s leadership, but the State Department and the European Union have classified the militia as a terrorist group.
The Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, which says it is an umbrella group that includes the Moujahedeen, did not immediately comment.
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