Gunmen kill police officers in Iran's restive southeast
Armed men opened fire on a police vehicle in Sistan-Baluchestan province, killing at least two officers, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.
Armed men opened fire on a police vehicle in Sistan-Baluchestan province, killing at least two officers, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.
The attack happened on the main highway between Zahedan, the provincial capital, and the town of Khash, in the district of Sib and Sooran, according to local media.
State outlets reported two police officers were killed, while the Baluch rights group Haalvsh put the toll at three. Large numbers of security forces were sent to the area after the shooting, residents told the group.
The attackers have not been identified and no group has claimed responsibility.
Restive province sees repeated bloodshed
The southeastern province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been one of Iran’s most volatile regions. Earlier in September, gunmen shot dead a Revolutionary Guards intelligence commander, Iraj Shams, in the town of Pishin. Local reports said he was killed inside a barbershop in the city market.
Authorities have accused Sunni militant groups of carrying out attacks in the area. The group Jaish al-Adl, designated as a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States, has claimed responsibility for past assaults.
In late August, the Guards said they killed eight armed men during operations in Iranshahr, Khash and Saravan, and freed one hostage. One Guards member was killed and another wounded in those clashes.
The province has also been the scene of deadly incidents involving Afghan migrants. On September 8, Iranian border guards opened fire on a group of around 120 Afghans crossing into Golshan district, killing six and wounding five, Haalvsh reported.
The group, which included women and children, came under fire from both light and heavy weapons, the rights group said. About 40 others were detained. Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based monitor, described the shooting as a breach of international law.
Iran has stepped up deportations of undocumented Afghans, expelling nearly 1.8 million over the past year. The United Nations has warned of a looming humanitarian crisis from mass returns.
