He said, acting on prior intelligence about planned illegal activity in the area, officers had set up an ambush. During the fighting, one officer was injured after being stabbed. The suspect was apprehended and handed over to judicial authorities.
Although the extent of damage to the artifact remains unclear, initial reports say the smugglers were attempting to steal the historic inscription, previously cited in media warnings about its vulnerability.
The clash marks yet another instance in a series of confrontations between smugglers and cultural heritage protection guards in the region.
An official in the unit said it’s unmanned and that has put a strain on the guards responsible for protecting Persepolis.
