At least 10 Iranian soldiers were killed in an attack in the Gowhar Koh region of #Taftan County, Sistan Bauchestan province. Iran’s state media attributed this attack to Baloch Sunni militant group Jaish Al Adl.
Reports from the Mehr and Tasnim news agencies, located approximately 1,200 kilometres southeast of Tehran, did not provide specifics on how the attackers carried out the ambush.
Local media, including the official IRNA news agency, reported the incident as an ambush, confirming that “10 personnel from two patrol units” died. However, no group has immediately taken responsibility for the attack.
Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, ranks among Iran’s most economically distressed provinces. It is home primarily to the Baluch minority, a Sunni Muslim ethnic group, which contrasts Iran’s predominantly Shiite population. The area has frequently experienced conflicts involving Iranian security forces, Baluch minority rebels, radical Sunni groups, and drug traffickers.
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This attack is one of the deadliest in the region in recent months. In early October, two separate incidents in the province resulted in the deaths of at least six people, including police officers. The Pakistan-based Sunni jihadist group, Jaish al-Adl, or Army of Justice, claimed responsibility for both incidents via a message on Telegram. Both Iran and the United States recognize Jaish al-Adl as a terrorist organization.
Tensions between Iran and Pakistan have escalated, with both nations accusing each other of allowing rebel groups to launch cross-border attacks. In mid-January, Iran conducted a strike in Pakistan targeting Jaish al-Adl’s headquarters, as reported by the Mehr agency.
Jaish al-Adl, proclaiming themselves as “soldiers of Allah,” continues to advocate for “armed jihad” against the Islamic republic.
