The Iranian Foreign Ministry lashed out at Arab interior ministers for raising fabricated charges against Tehran, and dismissed their claims about Iran's alleged support for extremists in Bahrain and Yemen as "baseless".

"Unfortunately, the baseless accusations are leveled in Riyadh against the Islamic Republic of Iran at a time when the Arab governments have closed their eyes to intervention of foreign countries in Syria by arming the terrorists," the Ministry said on Thursday.

In a March 13 meeting in Riyadh, Arab interior ministers accused Iran of supplying "logistic help to terrorist operations" in Bahrain and Yemen.

That is while sources said in January that a large number of spying cells from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are operating in Syria to help the armed rebels topple the Damascus government.

Informed sources told the Palestinian al-Manar weekly that Israeli, Saudi, Turkish and Qatari intelligence officers, backed by the US, have infiltrated into Syria via the Turkish borders, adding that each spying cell is comprised of 16 agents.

According to the sources, the main goal of the intelligence groups is gathering intelligence, specially in the form of footage and images, from Syria's sensitive and important sites, the country's military grid and power in particular.

The spying cells have also been provided with a list of Syria's prominent scientists and experts in different fields to kidnap and assassinate them, the sources said, elaborating on the mission of the multinational espionage operations underway in Syria.

Al-Manar had also earlier reported that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been financing and supplying armed rebels in Syria with more explosive materials they have recently purchased from the US, Israel and UK in a bid to help the terrorists carry out their anti-government operations in the Arab country.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have smuggled the explosives to Syria with the assistance of the intelligence services of the Arab country's neighboring countries, including Turkey, the al-Manar quoted informed security sources as saying in December.

The sources also disclosed that there are special terrorist garrisons in Turkey which are administered by the security officers of Israel and western countries.

So far, several sources have disclosed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been financing and dispatching terrorists in Syria and smuggle weapons to the crisis-hit country for campaign against Assad's government.
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