Iranian Forces Kill Six Militants In Raid On Southeast Province

Iranian security forces have killed six militants during a raid in the restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, state media reported on Saturday, describing the group as linked to Iran’s arch-foe, Israel.

According to the official IRNA news agency, the clash broke out during what it called an “intense exchange of fire” with armed militants. Authorities confirmed that six of the attackers were killed and two others arrested during the operation.

The report did not specify the exact location of the raid or when it took place. However, security officials said intelligence services had obtained “documents” that revealed the “Zionist nature” of the targeted group. The militants were allegedly planning to attack a “vital” facility in eastern Iran, though no further details were disclosed.

IRNA noted that the core members of the cell consisted of “seven non-Iranian terrorists,” without providing any information about their nationality. During the operation, two intelligence officers and one police officer sustained injuries.

Sistan-Baluchistan, which shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for violent confrontations involving separatists, drug traffickers, and armed groups opposed to Tehran. The province is also home to Iran’s Sunni Baluch minority and remains one of the country’s poorest regions.

The region has witnessed a surge in attacks in recent weeks. On Friday, the Sunni jihadist group Jaish al-Adl, outlawed in Iran and designated as a terrorist organization by Tehran, claimed responsibility for an assault that killed five police officers in the province.

Just days earlier, on Sunday, Iranian state media reported that security forces killed seven members of another Sunni extremist group, Ansar al-Furqan, during a separate operation in the same province.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and security forces are frequently targeted in Sistan-Baluchistan, where clashes between government forces and armed factions continue to destabilize the region.