Iran rejected a report claiming that Tehran has been engaged in a prisoner swap with Al Qaeda, saying such allegations aim to downplay Tehran’s efforts against terrorism.
“It is clear that such fabrications seek to distort facts and overshadow Iran’s efforts against terrorism and extremism,” IRNA quoted an unnamed official at the Foreign Ministry as saying on Thursday. The website of the Britain-based channel Sky News carried a report on Monday claiming that Iran has allowed five influential operatives of Al Qaeda militant group to leave the country in return for the release of an Iranian diplomat held in Yemen. The report said three of the five militants were members of Al Qaeda’s ruling committee.
“The Islamic Republic is fighting terrorism and is seriously opposed to the adoption of double-standard policies on an inhuman phenomenon like terrorism,” the source said.
