3 IRGC members killed in clashes with militants in southeastern Iran

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in the southeastern city of Zahedan in clashes with armed militants, local media said Wednesday.

Media reports said that three IRGC ground forces personnel lost their lives while “on a mission to protect the country’s borders.”

Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province, borders Pakistan and has long faced a precarious security situation due to the presence of militant groups, most notably Jaish-e-Adl.

According to Iranian media, the clashes took place in the Lar area, located 20 kilometers north of the provincial capital, where “terrorist and hostile groups” attacked IRGC members.

Local officials confirmed that a search operation is currently underway to apprehend the perpetrators, who fled after the attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but reports suggest it could be the work of the Jaish-e-Adl militant group, which has carried out several attacks in the province in recent years.

Wednesday’s attack comes just three months after five policemen were killed in twin attacks on police patrol units along the Khash-Iranshahr route in the same province.

In July, an attack on a courthouse in Zahedan killed six people and injured 22 others.

Following that incident, Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i, accused the US of orchestrating acts of violence inside the country.

One of the deadliest attacks in the province took place in February 2019, when militants targeted a bus carrying IRGC officers, killing 27 personnel.

The issue of border security has been discussed repeatedly between Iranian and Pakistani officials, especially the joint fight against militant groups on both sides of the border.

The issue figured prominently during a recent visit by Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani to Pakistan, where he held talks with top civilian and military officials.​​​​​​​