In a jihadist-claimed attack overnight, at least 11 Iranian police officers lost their lives at a police station in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, as reported by an official on state television. Following the attack, a shootout with security forces resulted in the death of several assailants.

Alireza Marhamati, the deputy governor of the province, provided details, stating, "In the terrorist attack on the police headquarters in the town of Rask, 11 policemen were killed, and others were wounded." The incident, occurring around midnight, marked one of the deadliest attacks in years for the region near Iran's border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Sunni Muslim jihadist group Jaish al-Adl, classified as a "terrorist" group by Iran and formed in 2012, claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel. Despite the tragedy, Marhamati praised the officers at the targeted police station for their brave defense, noting that they successfully wounded and killed some of the assailants. Seven police officers sustained injuries, with some in critical condition, according to Zahedan prosecutor Mehdi Shamsabadi.

The situation is reported to be under control, with the Sistan-Baluchistan police commander present at the scene. An investigation into the attack has been initiated. ISNA news agency published footage showing a helicopter searching for the attackers above the mountains along the Iran-Pakistan border.

Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi reported the arrest of one terrorist following the attack on a police station in Sistan-Baluchistan. The attackers were prevented from escaping across the border, and the security forces secured the entire region. The province has experienced unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, Baluchi rebels, and Sunni Muslim extremists.

Similar attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan, Iran, include an incident on July 23 that claimed four policemen's lives and another two weeks prior, where two policemen and four assailants were killed in a shootout, both claimed by Jaish al-Adl. In May, clashes with an armed group in Saravan resulted in the deaths of five Iranian border guards. A police official mentioned "Taliban forces" shooting at an Iranian police station in late May, amid water rights disputes between the two countries.

Zahedan, a Sunni-majority city in predominantly Shiite Iran, witnessed deadly protests in September last year over the alleged rape of a teenage girl by a police officer. The clashes occurred amid nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old arrested for an alleged breach of strict dress rules for women.

Image source: Hindustan Times