IRGC says drone kills two militants in southeast Iran
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it carried out a drone strike that killed at least two militants in southeast Iran, two days after ten Iranian police officers were killed in the region.
“Two terrorists riding a Honda 125 motorcycle were killed by the IRGC Quds Force drone” near Zahedan, in southeast Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province, the IRGC said on Telegram, accusing the targets of being Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) members.
Attacks on Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan province are frequent. Armed Baluchi groups, primarily Jaish al-Adl, operate in the province that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have waged an insurgency against Tehran and carried out numerous attacks against its forces, especially the IRGC.
On Saturday, ten police officers were killed in the province en route back to the station after responding to an emergency call. Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier this month, at least six people, including an IRGC commander, were killed in separate attacks in the province.
Jaish al-Adl was re-added to the United States list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2019 by the administration of former President Donald Trump. The designation was in response to a deadly attack by the group that killed 27 IRGC members near Sistan and Baluchestan’s provincial capital, Zahedan.
Baluchis are a mainly Sunni ethnic minority in Iran, living predominantly in the Baluchestan region near the border with Pakistan. The population was active during nationwide protests in September 2022 and hundreds of Baluchis were killed by the IRGC during a heavy crackdown.
“Two terrorists riding a Honda 125 motorcycle were killed by the IRGC Quds Force drone” near Zahedan, in southeast Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province, the IRGC said on Telegram, accusing the targets of being Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) members.
Attacks on Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan province are frequent. Armed Baluchi groups, primarily Jaish al-Adl, operate in the province that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have waged an insurgency against Tehran and carried out numerous attacks against its forces, especially the IRGC.
On Saturday, ten police officers were killed in the province en route back to the station after responding to an emergency call. Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier this month, at least six people, including an IRGC commander, were killed in separate attacks in the province.
Jaish al-Adl was re-added to the United States list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2019 by the administration of former President Donald Trump. The designation was in response to a deadly attack by the group that killed 27 IRGC members near Sistan and Baluchestan’s provincial capital, Zahedan.
Baluchis are a mainly Sunni ethnic minority in Iran, living predominantly in the Baluchestan region near the border with Pakistan. The population was active during nationwide protests in September 2022 and hundreds of Baluchis were killed by the IRGC during a heavy crackdown.