TEHRAN: Gunmen killed a police officer and injured another during a clash with security forces in Iran’s volatile southeast.
The incident took place in Sistan-Baluchistan, one of Iran’s poorest regions and a hotspot for violence involving rebels, extremists, and drug traffickers.
“In an exchange of fire… between Iranshahr police and armed men, one officer was wounded and another killed,“ Fars news agency reported, quoting police sources.
ISNA news agency also confirmed the deadly gun battle.
Sistan-Baluchistan is home to a predominantly Sunni Baluch population, differing from Iran’s Shiite majority.
Fars stated that the attackers were injured in the clash, fled, and were being pursued by authorities.
Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni jihadist group based in Pakistan, has claimed several recent attacks in the region.
The group reportedly killed a police officer in another attack in Sistan-Baluchistan just days earlier.
On July 26, at least six people died in a courthouse attack in the same province, claimed by Jaish al-Adl. – AFP