Tehran_Nov2015
A shadow is cast on a wall as flowers and candles are seen in front of placards in tribute to the victims of Paris attacks, outside French embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Nov. 14, 2015. Reuters/Raheb Homavandi

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's cyber police chief said on Monday officers had arrested 53 people for running websites supporting the Islamic State militant group, Tasnim news agency reported.

Kamal Hadianfar said most had been based "in provinces near border areas," without specifying where.

Shi'ite Muslim power Iran said last month it had broken up a cell recruiting fighters for the hardline Sunni Muslim group in Kermanshah, a western province close to the Iraqi border.

The area has a large Sunni Kurdish population that has risen up against Tehran in the past.

Iran has also sent officers to help in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria.

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