The New York Times has quoted an Israeli intelligence official as saying that Tel Aviv has informed American officials it was responsible for the killing of a Revolutionary Guard colonel in Tehran.
In an article published on Wednesday, the daily said according to an intelligence official, Israel has informed American officials that it was behind the killing of Hassan Sayyad-Khodaei -- a member of IRGC’ Quds Force, responsible for operations outside Iran’s borders.
The intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Israelis killed him as a warning to Iran to halt the operations of a covert group within the Quds Force known as Unit 840, tasked with abductions and assassinations of foreigners around the world, including Israeli civilians and officials.
According to the article, Khodaei was the deputy commander of Unit 840 and in charge of its operations in the Middle East and countries neighboring Iran. Over the past two years, he had also been involved in attempted terrorist attacks against Israelis, Europeans and American civilians and government officials in Columbia, Kenya, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Cyprus.
A European security official, told Iran International on Tuesday that Khodaei was responsible for a number of terrorist operations against Israelis in three continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa, including on February 13, 2012.
Khodaei was killed outside his home on a residential street in Tehran on Sunday when two gunmen on motorcycles approached his car and fired five bullets at him. Iran blamed Israel and vowed revenge for the killing.
