Iraqi coastguards patrol the waters
close to the border with Iran. Iran has said that 15 British service
personnel detained by its navy have admitted violating its territorial
waters, rejecting demands from London for their swift release.(Xinhua/AFP
Photo) Photo
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TEHRAN,
March 24 (Xinhua) -- Iranian military officer General Alireza Afshar said on
Saturday that the 15 British sailors who were detained by Iranian forces when
they were patrolling off the Iraqi border Friday, have "confessed their mistakes
of illegally entering Iranian waters", local Fars news agency reported.
"Right now they are being interrogated, and they have
confessed the illegal entry of territorial waters of the Islamic republic,"
Afshar was quoted as saying.
According to Iran's state-run television, Afshar said
Iran had "solid evidence" that the sailors were detained in Iranian waters,
adding "they themselves have admitted the mistake."
"The British create a climate of tension at a moment
when a (UN Security Council) resolution against Iran (over its nuclear program)
is to be voted despite the fact that Iran seeks calm and stability in the
region," he added.
"We are continuing to question the British sailors in
order to make sure their real intentions," he said.
According to an earlier report from Fars, an unnamed
official said "Iranian border guards fulfilled their responsibilities, because
navigational equipment on the seized British boats shows the sailors were aware
that they were operating in Iranian waters."
"They should be more careful about their navigational
equipment," he added.
The British authorities have confirmed that 15
British naval personnel were seized Friday by Iranian forces when they were
patrolling off the Iraqi borders.
The incident took place when the British soldiers
were engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi
territorial waters in support of UN Security Council Resolution1723 and the
government of Iraq, said British and U.S. officials.
British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett insisted
the soldier were operating in Iraqi waters. She has summoned the Iranian
ambassador in London and requested Tehran to return the detainees.
However, Iranian foreign ministry also summoned
British charged' affairs Kate Smith to give firm protest for the cross-border
actions and up to now showed no sign of a swift release of the sailors.
According to the latest report of Iranian media, the
detainees have been transferred to the capital of Tehran for further
investigations.
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