At least five Iranian security members were killed in clashes with militants at two separate points in southeastern Iran on April 3, 2024, according to state media reports. The official IRNA news agency claimed death of ten security force personnel and injuries to at least eight gunmen during the gunfights, a figure which was believed to be escalated by the media later.
It is said that the fighting erupted overnight in Sistan and Baluchistan province when gunmen opened fire on Revolutionary Guard Post in Rask town and a Coast Guard Station in Chabahar city close to the border with Pakistan and some 1400km (870 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran, as reported by an Iranian news agency quoting Iran’s Deputy Minister of Interior Majid Mirahmadi.
The official news agency of Iran said initially, five members of a security forces including an IRGC officer, a Basij paramilitary force, a conscript and two police forces personnel were killed in the attack.
The exact extent of gunfire was unclear in the morning, but reports called it a foiled terrorist attack. The Sunni militant group Jaish-e-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack. State broadcaster videos showed gunfire during street clashes. An international media agency reported state citing news media reports that six assailants were under siege and hostages were present at the two sites.
It did not elaborate on the hostages, but it blamed the attacks claimed by the Jaish-e-Adl, which allegedly seeks greater rights for the Baloch minority. Mirahmadi also said militants had set up ambushes along the nearby roads to prevent security forces from chasing them.
It did not elaborate on the hostages, but it blamed the attacks claimed by the Jaish-e-Adl, which allegedly seeks greater rights for the Baloch minority. The terrorist group has carried out dozens of large- and small-scale operations over the years against Iranian military forces, particularly the IRGC including cross-border attacks and abduction of border guards.
Jaish-e-Adl has been designated as a terrorist organisation by Iran whose officials often refer to it as Jaish-e-Zulm (Army of Injustice) and Takfiri terrorists. Iranian officials often allege that the group has ties with the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israeli intelligence agencies and is funded by them. In January 2024, the Jaish-e-Adl claimed responsibility for targeting an IRGC vehicle carrying officers near the city of Iranshahr in Sistan and Baluchistan province.
