Six MKO terrorists charged over clashes with Albania police

Albanian prosecutors have charged six members of the anti-Iran terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) following clashes between police and the terrorists in their camp near the town of Manze.

Local media reported on Wednesday that court officials in the nearby town of Durres charged the terrorists on several criminal counts for offenses related to the violation and destruction of police vehicles, disobeying police and court orders, as well as assault and battery of on-duty police officers. 

Clashes broke out on Tuesday when police entered the camp, known as Ashraf-3, near Manze, a small hill town some 30km west of Albania’s capital Tirana, to search the premises. 

In the meantime, police and prosecutors are carrying out further investigations in regard to the tensions with police and illegal activities carried out by MKO members within the camp.

Earlier, Albanian officials had issued a statement, saying the raid on the MKO camp left dozens of casualties, including members of the police.

An MKO mouthpiece was cited by AP as claiming one MKO terrorist was killed and 100 more injured in the operation. Albanian authorities, however, disputed the MKO's claim, saying the death was not caused by any police action.

According to the statement released by the Albanian interior ministry, the Albanian police took control of the terrorists' base for an hour and inspected their office buildings and the unconventional electronic devices that were used in them.

Interior Minister Bledi Cuci and National Police Chief Muhamet Rrumbullaku, said on Tuesday the operation met with MKO resistance and left three dozen casualties, including 15 police officers and 21 members of the terrorist outfit.

Reports said six of the injured terrorists were in critical condition.

However, Cuci and Rrumbullaku said the police operation was carried out with “all the necessary care not to create any incident” and in accordance with a court order issued following reports of illegal activities by members of the group at the camp which consists of 127 buildings in an area of 40 hectares.

'MKO a danger for host state'

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanani said on Wednesday that the cult is and will be a danger for its host country. 

"Due to their terrorist nature, the MKO will always be a danger to the security of its host country," he wrote in a post in the Persian language on his Twitter account. 

He said the Albanian officials ordered the raid on the camp due to the group's terrorist cyber activities, breaching a 2014 agreement with the Albanian government.

"This is why the Iraqi government expelled them and other governments refused to accept them. We hope the Albanian government makes up for its mistake in hosting this terrorist cult,” he tweeted on Wednesday.

SS