At least five civilians were killed and 13 were hurt in an attack on a courthouse in Sistan-Baluchestan province in southeast-western Iran, according to Iranian media.
A senior police official told the state news agency IRNA that a mother and a child were among the victims of the handgrenade attack on Saturday in Zahedan, Sistan-Baluchestan’s capital.
According to IRNA, three of the attackers were killed as well, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) regional headquarters.
A Baloch armed group with roots in Pakistan but operations in Iran called Jaish al-Adl (Arabic for Army of Justice) responsible for the attack and urged “all civilians to immediately evacuate the area of clashes for their safety,” according to Iranian media.
The attackers attempted to enter the building while posing as visitors, according to Alireza Daliri, Sistan-Baluchestan’s deputy police commander.
Witnesses who spoke to the Baloch human rights organization HAALVSH claimed that several members of the judiciary and security personnel were killed or injured when the assailants stormed the judges’ chambers.
IRNA reported that there were emergency personnel on the scene, with the injured being evacuated and transported to hospitals.
Iran’s Sunni Muslim Baloch minority, who have long claimed to be economically marginalized and politically excluded, is based in Sistan-Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Some armed organizations claim to be fighting for greater autonomy and rights. Some of them are accused of having ties to foreign governments and being involved in attacks and cross-border smuggling, according to the Iranian government.
The province, which is located about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) southeast of Tehran, has frequent fighting between Iranian security forces and the armed groups.
Recurrent clashes between Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, and Sunni and Shiite fighters and drug traffickers have occurred in the area.
Source: Aljazeera
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