Iran arrests 11 suspected members of Kurdish group over 'sabotage'

Iranian authorities have arrested 11 members of an outlawed Kurdish group on suspicion of committing acts of sabotage, state television said on Saturday.

The arrest of the 11 alleged members of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) -- considered a terrorist group in Iran -- comes in the wake of mass anti-government protests in which thousands of people, including security forces, were killed last month.

Since its formation in 2004, PJAK -- an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- has staged operations against the Iranian military.

The 11 people arrested in west Iran were "in direct contact with PJAK elements, seeking to launch sabotage actions and to disturb the population's security", the Fars news agency said.

"They were identified and arrested before they were able to commit the act," it added, citing Mohsen Karimi, a regional commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Both Turkey and the United States also consider PJAK to be a terrorist organisation.

Iranian authorities have said that the majority of those killed during January's protests were members of the security forces or bystanders targeted by "terrorists" acting on behalf of Tehran's arch-foes the United States and Israel.

However, rights groups based abroad have accused Iranian security forces of deliberately targeting protesters.