Iranian armed forces killed at least four “terrorists” in the southeast of the country on Sunday after a deadly jihadist attack on police the day before.
At least 10 police officers were killed in the attack, one of the deadliest claimed by a jihadist group in a border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The attack targeted police cars in Taftan county, part of Sistan and Baluchestan, a region some 1,200 kilometers from the capital, Tehran.
The Sunni jihadist group Jaish al-Adl (“Army of Justice” in Arabic), based in Pakistan and active in the area, claimed responsibility for the attack via the Telegram messaging service.
According to the Tasnim news agency, law enforcement officers killed at least four of the “terrorists” involved in the attack during a drone targeting operation.
“During this operation, four terrorists were killed, others escaped and four were arrested,” the agency added.
Sistan and Baluchestan, which shares a long, porous border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is one of the poorest parts of Iran.
The region is home to a large population of the Baloch ethnic minority, who practice Sunni Islam in contrast to the country’s predominant Shia branch.
Recurring clashes there pit Iranian security forces against rebels from the Baluch minority, radical Sunni groups, and drug traffickers.
